Mega Man Harpuia
by M.Hunter Traubel Trainee
Summary: Post MMZ4 AU. 20 years have passed and Neo Arcadia is being rebuilt. Peace has been made and now Harpuia is Master of Neo Arcadia. However, with strange sightings of Zero, Harpuia must battle a new threat and defend X's legacy. HarpuiaxPrairie.
1. Prologue: The Wind Dies Down

Hey hey everyone, MHTT here. I'm breaking off with another Megaman fanfic at the moment, but instead of going with my favorite series, I'm going to try something between Zero and the ZX series. I'll explain more as I go on, but until then, here's the prologue.

_**IMPORTANT: **_This fic DOES NOT follow the Megaman Zero cannon, and it makes some assumptions (ie, veers away from the cannon, including)

-Harpuia is alive after MMZ3

-Prairie is indeed Alouette (though it has never been confirmed in the cannon, it is highly implied in the game.)

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_**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Harpuia or Prairie or Alouette or Rouge or Omega! They are copyright of Capcom!

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**_

**Prologue: The Wind Dies Down…**

Harpuia's eyes widened, inhaling harshly. He stood stiff, his mind trying to processing what had just happened. It was too fast, too fast for him to see. The pain was beginning to seep through his body, originating from his chest but quickly spreading throughout. He could feel the energy ripping through his internal system, rupturing it, corrupting it, utterly destroying it. The guardian grit his teeth and looked down, seeing the menacing green blade impaled through his chest, his fluids beginning to coat the emerald energy with his own red fluid.

"Do you understand now…_Master _Harpuia?" Harpuia let out a groan and felt his knees buckle. His legs shook uncontrollably, threatening to fall to the ground, but the guardian refused to kneel. He forcefully steadied himself, his feet planting firmly in the ground while his knees and upper legs continued to shake. The pink blades started to feel very heavy in his hands, the versatile weaponry suddenly very unwieldy. His blood stained hands trembled but he kept a firm grip, unwilling to release his blades. He closed his eyes and tried to avert the pain, but a gasp escaped his lips as the green sword slid deeper. "Understand the power I gained? The power I desired?"

His closed eyes opened slowly, catching a glimpse of the cracks in his armor. The duel had been fierce. Both fighters sustained injuries and damage that was almost beyond repair. Harpuia's armor was covered in cracks, scratches, and cuts, his helmet now sporting a broken left wing. His opponent was no different, with the addition of several soaked red spots and a helmet that was busted on the right side. However, what was surprising was the liquid that soaked the red armor, the armor that once belonged to the legendary reploid…Zero, or to be more accurate…Omega. It was blood.

But, the blood was real…Not artificial like a reploid's. Harpuia's opponent, the one who donned Omega's armor, the one whose blade is now impaled through his chest, was a human. The human laughed and stopped, the blonde, blood-stained ponytail remaining still. "What's the matter _Master_?" He asked with a smile. "Have you fallen so far from your glory?"

The green guardian remained silent, responding with a cold, menacing glare.

* * *

(Some time later)

"Harpuia…" Prairie sat on the edge of her seat and gripped her doll tightly. She stared at the large green monitor propped against the wall, the small screen on the left corner nothing but grey static. Only minutes had passed since Harpuia last communicated with Prairie, but to the young commander, it felt like hours. An expression of sadness and concern was etched on her face, all after hearing the sounds of battle that had knocked out his communication line. The commander lowered her head, hiding a tear. "Please…come back to us…"

"Commander," Rouge the operator looked up, noticing a blinking light on her screen. "Communications with Master Sage Harpuia…has been reestablished."

Prairie's head perked up, watching the large monitor with hope. The green line that was absent reappeared at the top of the screen, indicating that the communication line had indeed been reestablished. "Sage! Sage come in!" She shouted.

(_Static)_

"Sage, can you hear me?!"

_(Static)_

"…S…Sage…" Prairie stared with horror at the same screen, the static still prevalent. She was receiving no response, nothing from the guardian. Could…Could he have…

"_P…Prair…"_

The Commander's eyes widened. He's still alive! "Sage! Sage are you okay?!"

"_Damage is…(static)…autosys(static)…Cannot repai(static)…"_

A glimmer of hope returned to her eyes. He was still alive, she could save him. She WILL save him! "Don't worry! Everything will be fine! We're going to repair you Sage, don't worry!"

_(Static)_

Prairie's eyes widened. "Operator! Dispatch a medical team to Harpuia's location!"

"But commander,"

"NOW!"

The operator winced and turned back to the panel. "Medical team, prep for transport."

Meanwhile, Prairie returned to the communication line, desperate to keep Harpuia with her. "Sage, please stay with me. Talk to me, say something."

(_Static)_

"Sage, please talk to me!"

"Med. Team has been dispatched to the location. ETA is twenty seconds." Rouge stated, noticing their location.

"_Prairie…It's (static)…la (static)…"_

"No! It's not too late! Sage just hold on! The med. team's already been dispatched! They'll reach you soon! Just hold on!" She bit her lip, fighting the harsh, pessimistic reality that Sage Harpuia was dying. "Y…You're going to be okay Sage…Just, just hold on for a few seconds…"

_(Static)_

"Y…You made a promise to me remember? You won't be like Mr. Zero…You promised…" She took in a gasp, struggling to maintain her composure.

The static broke through once more, the line eerily silent save for the white noise.

Prairie waited, waited for what felt like hours before finally responding. No…Please…Her eyes began to well up and her body began to tremble. "Sage? Sage…please…say something…anything…"

"_…"_

"_I'm…"_

Prairie's eyes opened and stared at the screen, watching the static.

"_sorry…"_

"No…"

"_Al(static)…ette…"_

"No…Sage…Sage! Are you still there?! Sage!" As she screamed his name, the static screen suddenly turned black, void of all signs of noise and life. "No…O-Operator," She started, her voice trembling. "What happened?"

Rouge remained silent, lowering her head. "…I've lost connection with Master Harpuia commander…The line's…dead."

Prairie was silent. The young commander seemed to have gone into shock, for she neither responded nor moved upon hearing the statement. Sensing the tension, Rouge turned around, preparing to comfort her.

But before she could, Prairie turned her chair around and ran for the door.

"Commander!" The door opened and the young reploid ran out into the hall, her stuffed toy still gripped tightly in her hands. She ran to her private room and quickly locked the door. Then, as she struggled to catch her breath…

She sank onto her knees…and cried.

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Well, that's the prologue for you. Hope you guys enjoyed the reedited version. Since I didn't feel rushed and I took my time with this one, I can definitely say I like THIS version better than my previous prologue. I hope you guys do too, and hope it gives a better hook into the story.

From here, it will all be backtracking to show what had led up to this event. Until then, please leave a review!

Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 1: The First Attack

Well here's the first chapter. Heh heh, talk about a fast update huh? First off, I'd like to apologize for the prologue. It was written rather late at night when I couldn't sleep, so forgive me for any errors (Such as the 'clumped' sentence in my notes at the very beginning).

Anyway, here's where the story begins. I showed you the ending, now let's see how we built up to it. Also, forgive me for any mistakes I made, and know that I haven't played the Zero series in a long time.

Also, just as some pointers for this fic.

1. Zero will not be integral to the fic. He may make a cameo alongside the other guardians, but this fic will mostly center around Harpuia and Prairie (a.k.a Alouette).  
2. This fic is set after MMZ4 but with the alteration that Harpuia had indeed survived against Omega.

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_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Megaman characters in this fic, they are copyright Capcom.**_

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**Chapter 1: The First Attack**

_**Earlier…**_

"Fire at will!" A barrage of machine gun rounds pierced the silence. Soldiers garbed in green uniforms ran about the broken highway and released burst upon burst of rounds, all the while taking cover from energy bullets. Alongside them, blue soldiers, the pantheons of Neo Arcadia, shot their standard issue assault rifles, releasing bullets in bursts of three with proficient accuracy. A soldier screamed as a large, heavy claw struck him, slicing away his arm. The green reploid fell to the ground, his machine gun clattering several feet away and out of reach. He groaned and struggled to stand, pushing on his free arm while electric sparks and artificial blood surged out of his shoulder. However, the last thing he heard was a 'ruff', and the next thing he knew, he was on his stomach with a wolf mechaniloid on top of him. It dug its mouth into the back of his neck and tore away at the circuitry, the soldier screaming one last time before he finally went offline, his eyes dulling and fading away.

The large gorilla mechaniloid cast its shadow over the soldiers, towering over the soldiers by at least ten feet. "Shit! Fall back! Everyone FALL BACK!" A large, burly reploid shouted. They followed their orders and began to run out of the ominous shadow whilst retaliating with their machine guns, taking care to stay out of range of the ape's intimidating claws. However, the blue pantheons, shaped and sculpted to X's figure, remained behind. They were not under the authority of those green soldiers, they were mechaniloids with only one order, take down the maverick at any cost. As they continued to fire mercilessly, the steely gray arms of the gorilla struck the ground, sending a powerful shockwave across the street.

* * *

"Hmm?" Harpuia turned his head, hearing the loud 'bang' in the distance. He hovered high above the city of Neo Arcadia, the sun glinting off of the wings of his trademark helmet. The jets in his boots and on his back let out a constant stream of burnt fuel, maintaining the guardian's altitude as he continue to hover. He let out a huff and burst forward, the jets pushing at full force toward the crisis zone. The Guardians, Prairie's 'volunteer forces' should have responded by now alongside the Neo Arcadian security force, the majority of which is composed of pantheons. The cold wind stung his exposed face but the guardian didn't mind, he was used to such feelings. Having once been one of the primary guardians to Master X, Harpuia spent the majority of his service scouting the air, most of the time high above the city of Neo Arcadia. 

He began to dive, slanting his direction at a small angle toward the crisis zone. The wind whipped more ferociously at his face, chilling the biosynthetic skin as Harpuia continued to descend. He spotted the ogre-like gorilla on the highway, slowly making its way toward Neo Arcadia while the green soldiers were falling back into the city. Harpuia grunted and came in faster, moving at Mach 1 toward the threat. He activated both blades and made one last zoom, finally closing the gap between him and the ape.

"Haaa!" He pulled up, making a crescent blur in the air. His arms flexed and 'dragged' his two blades across the gorilla's left arm, causing it to 'groan' in pain and drop the broken streetlight. Harpuia then hovered backward, barely dodging the mech's open hand grasp as he made his way toward the Guardians, all of whom firing in bursts and sprays at the lumbering mechaniloid. He stopped just before the surprised reploids, neither of them believing that Harpuia, the de facto leader of Neo Arcadia, would come and help them battle.

"Harpuia," the sole soldier at the front said with shock. The guardian turned his head and stared from the corner of his eye.

"Hold your positions! We are not going to let these mechaniloids enter Neo Arcadia!" Harpuia barked, taking a moment to slice two wolf mechs.

"But sir, it's too-"

"I don't want excuses! Do as you are told!" He shouted. "I'll take care of the ape, you just hold off the others!" He boosted forward, easily dodging another swipe by the gorilla's arm and making his way for its face.

Meanwhile, the large soldier stood stiff, watching the other mechaniloids come closer. He gulped and fired several times at one approaching wolf, quickly taking care of it. "You heard Harpuia! Everyone hold your ground!"

Harpuia dodged another attack, flying out of reach above the mechaniloid just in time. He burst forward and made a double slash at the ape's side, causing it to kneel. He then flew in between its elbow and made another swift slash, opening a gash into its joint. The ape made another groan and struggled to stand, the 'pain' and damage enraging it greatly. It forcefully stood on its feet and let out a loud bellow.

The soldiers instinctively stepped back upon hearing, watching the mech slam its chest with its balled fists. They continued to fire at the incoming wolves and insects, executing, somewhat reluctantly, the orders of the green guardian. Some of the rogue mechs got too close to the line, but they were put down just in time. As more parts littered the ground, their numbers began to dwindle, but their attacks were still ferocious. They came in with an unknown resolve and a simple command, to overcome the opposition.

Harpuia swooped in another crescent and made a quick hack at the left arm. He ducked under just in time, avoiding the gorilla's powerful swing, and followed with a one-two on his upper bicep. The mech growled at the flying reploid, greatly infuriated at the antics of this…'pest'. Its great jaws opened and revealed a revolving turret, four barrels stacked on top of each other in a 2x2 matrix. A barrage of gunfire opened on the guardian but he easily dodged it. The bullets whizzed by him as he circled the gargantuan mechaniloid, making small hacks over his body with each swoop in. Half of the Guardians were now focusing their efforts on taking out the giant gorilla, seeing that the wolves and insects had virtually dissipated. Rounds upon rounds rained upon the mechaniloid, the thing focusing entirely on Harpuia instead of the volunteer force that was slowly whittling away its armor. The guardian dodged to the side and ducked under another fist, making a quick slash at its wrist. It was time for the kill. He boosted forward and dove for his chest, his blades held tight in each hand. As he closed in, Harpuia's body turned into a green blur, a blot of green light against the clear blue sky and the steely gray armor. The green blur came in straight for the ape's heart, but just as it made contact, it veered straight up. With surreal speed it 'grazed' the mechaniloid's chest, neck, and head, almost as if it was barely touching the mech. If a soldier could look closely, they would've seen two pink lines just outside the blur.

Harpuia disengaged his jets and hovered just above the ape mechaniloid. His pink blades whirred and dissipated the artificial fluid, evaporating it with the concentrated energy. Everything seemed to fall to silence, with only the sounds of Harpuia's jets present in the air. The guardian looked down and heard the ape groan, along with the sound of metal scraping against metal. Then, a line appeared at the side of the ape's head, displaying its innards. It stretched down to its chest where Harpuia made contact, revealing a large gash made from his pink blades. Sparks flew, the mechaniloid flashed, and with a final groan of pain, it exploded in a glorious blast of red and orange. Its remains fell with a loud clang on the empty, broken street, its severed head especially making a loud 'BANG' upon impact. Harpuia descended onto the ground and deactivated his blades, sheathing them once more by his side.

"Th…Thank you sir." He turned around and saw the burly reploid. He must be the leader of this unit. "I wasn't expecting you to come and help us. We were in a heavy bind just now."

Harpuia didn't answer, merely turning and facing the Guardian officer. "What is your rank soldier?" He asked.

"What?"

"Your rank please."

The reploid bit his lip, moving a hand into his white pants pocket. "Sergeant sir."

"Sergeant, I see." Harpuia paused. "Sergeant, after seeing how you have handled this situation, I am very surprised that you hold this rank."

"Wha?"

"I expected better from your unit after I have issued the Guardians weaponry as your commander asked. If you are to protect the people of Neo Arcadia, then I would have expected better leadership capability and tactics from you."

"Sir," The reploid looked at the green guardian, looking down at him since he towered Harpuia by at least six inches. "The weapons you have issued us,"

"I don't want excuses sergeant." Harpuia cut him off. "I have issued you and your men weapons as you have requested, and I expect you to utilize them well. If you cannot handle mavericks any better than you did today, then I will relinquish them and your priority for additional defense."

"It's not like your 'Security Force' was doing any better!" Harpuia raised his head and looked to the side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a young reploid, holding his rifle over his shoulder like some hotshot. "From what I saw, your stupid pantheons weren't doing a thing except getting themselves retired!" The other Guardians' soldiers looked with fear. Their comrade did something that none of them would have even dared to do, talk back to Harpuia.

The guardian of the wind turned his attention to this hotshot. He held a cold, emotionless expression and made his way toward him, his arms swaying with his steps. The soldier's angered expression gradually dissipated into fear as Harpuia approached him, fear and panic beginning to beset. Within moments, he found himself eye to eye with the guardian, his emerald green orbs staring almost evilly into his faltering blue eyes. "Is there something you would like to suggest then?"

The reploid quivered, his eyes looking either way to avoid the guardian's stare. "Um…well I-I was just noticing how…um…y-your pantheons were all getting…you know…uh…"

"destroyed?"

"Yeah! I-I mean um…that mech was kinda big and all so…uh…well um…"

Harpuia smirked. "Enough, you're only making yourself look worse." The soldier looked back, a certain fear gripping his body. The figure of the feared Guardian of the Wind intimidated the young reploid, one who had only recently joined the Guardians forces. Harpuia could easily tell that this youth had barely seen war; the closest that would have been is probably standing guard at the former Resistance base. He came in close, staring at him directly, noting the perspiration on his face. "If you have any suggestions you'd like to make, I'm more than happy to listen to them. My security force has been doing their best to protect this city since we've reestablished it, and if there is something you're not satisfied with, then I'm more than willing to listen."

The soldier was frozen with fear, unwilling to answer. He tried to look away but he couldn't, almost entrapped by the guardian's gaze. His body shook and his grip on his rifle was loosening, his fingers trembling with cold fear.

"Well?"

"No sir!" He said immediately. "I…I have no suggestions…"

Harpuia huffed, mentally chastising the young soldier for not only his brashness, but his cowardice. "I see, at ease." He walked back to the sergeant, fully aware that the frightened reploid had fallen onto his behind. "Sergeant,"

"Yes sir?"

"Do the necessary procedures, the threat has been averted."

"Yes sir."

"However," Harpuia stopped him. "My warning still stands. If your men are unable to defend against a hostile threat again, with or without the security force alongside you, then I will relinquish this duty from your commanding officer. Is that understood?"

The sergeant nodded, his brow furrowing slightly. "…Yes sir."

"Good. See to that the damage is cleared from the streets." Harpuia turned and became engulfed in a white light, teleporting away from the damaged highway and back to the center of the city. He was going to have to speak with Prairie about the Guardians.

* * *

Prairie sighed and leaned back in her comfortable seat. The screen in front of her glowed in an emerald light, displaying the most recent report sent to her. She had already read through the contents, two casualties, damage estimated to be about 50.000 zenny, and the maverick being a large gorilla mechaniloid, an old model that used to be for construction before an engineer altered it to be a battle mech. She sat back up and set her gloved hands on the keyboard, keying in a simple command to log in the report. Personally, seeing that this was only the first battle since the Guardians were issued weaponry, the commander was surprised to hear how well they handled it, and of the low number of casualties. They handled it pretty well. 

"Prairie,"

Of course, this was before she received a message from Harpuia with concerns about the auxiliary force. She turned her chair and saw the green guardian, the door closing shut behind him. His expression was cold as usual, his eyes bearing a very serious expression. "Master Harpuia," She greeted, bowing slightly with her pink hat at a small tilt.

At that mention, Harpuia raised his hand. "Please, just Harpuia is fine." He responded, unblinking. "Only Master X deserves to be called that way, you may call me by my name Prairie." The commander nodded, taking a moment to fix up her pink coat to look more professional, despite the fact that she looked rather childish in the wardrobe overall.

"You wanted to speak with me about the Guardians' policy Harpuia?"

The guardian nodded. "Yes. Please, take a seat."

"I'm fine, thank you." Prairie responded quickly, feeling some intimidation from the legendary guardian.

Harpuia sighed. "Prairie, I'm beginning to have doubts on providing weaponry for the Guardians. After watching how they handled this maverick attack, I highly doubt they'll be able to handle a situation of that magnitude in the future, let alone, something greater."

"I understand Harpuia, but this is only their first battle, please give them,"

"I'm well aware of that Prairie." He stopped her, softening slightly. "And I'm also aware that this maverick attack was of a greater threat than before. Even so, the majority of the Guardians are composed of former Resistance soldiers correct?"

The commander took a brief pause before nodding. "Yes, that's correct, but they haven't faced conflict ever since you've reformed Neo Arcadia. Harpuia, I understand your concern for them and the wellbeing of this city, but please, give them another chance. My men are more than capable of defending the city, they just need time to get used to it again."

"Prairie, I cannot take that risk." Harpuia exhaled and closed his eyes before reopening them. "I intend to repeal your duties as auxiliary commander and revert the Guardians back to a wellness corp. for Neo Arcadia. All defensive duties will return to the Security Force within a matter of weeks. I'm sorry, but I cannot risk incompetence for the defense of the city and humanity."

"Harpuia, we are not incompetent!" Prairie stated angrily. "Just because we were not a part of Neo Arcadia during the wars doesn't mean that we are not effective! We have managed to stand up to your forces in the past and, as part of the former Resistance, I know for fact that they are extraordinary reploids who are willing to sacrifice themselves for a cause! You may not see it now, but if you give me time, I will show you their full potential."

_**BLARE! BLARE! BLARE!**_

"Aaah-huh!" Prairie jumped and covered her mouth. She looked about the room, already noticing the swirling red lights from the sirens and the blaring klaxon of the alarm. The lights shined through the glass cockpit of the Guardian command ship and sent lines of red through the sky, albeit faintly due to the barrier set between the ship and the sky.

"Commander!" An operator shouted through the loud klaxon. "I've detected a maverick reading in the residential area of Neo Arcadia!"

"What?!" Prairie and Harpuia exclaimed. Harpuia quickly ran over and leaned over the operator's shoulder, staring at the holographic map on her computer screen.

"What's the exact location?" Harpuia asked with concern.

"The location's in the 4th and 5th district on the western side of Neo Arcadia."

The guardian was shocked. How could a maverick have appeared this far into the city without engaging the perimeter defense?

"What are the casualties?" Prairie asked.

"The casualty number is undefined but estimates are set in the hundreds. The maverick appears to be on the move, but I'm having a hard time reading its signal." The operator informed.

"Damn," Harpuia cursed under his breath. "Prairie, recall the Guardians from the highway in the northern end and transport them to the residential district."

The commander nodded. "Okay. I'll have them provide support fire while,"

"No." Harpuia quickly silenced her. "Have them evacuate the citizens to safety. The security force and I will deal with the threat."

Prairie shot a surprised glance at him. "Harpuia, this maverick-"

"The citizens' wellbeing is our top priority right now. If we have both the Security Force and the Guardians on the offensive, then we'll suffer higher casualties if we don't have someone to evacuate them. Have your forces evacuate the citizens to safety, I'll tend to the maverick alongside the security force." Once again, the guardian was met with an indignant expression from the commander. "You'll get your chance to prove yourself another time Prairie. For now, just focus on evacuating the citizens."

Prairie bit her lip in an attempt to protest, but finally nodded. "…Yes Harpuia."

"Alright. Operator," The woman looked up, her metallic visor still shielding her eyes. "Set the transerver coordinates to this spot." He pointed at a spot just on the border of the crisis area.

"Yes sir." Harpuia then turned and dashed toward the door. However, as the door opened, he made one last glance at Prairie. "We'll finish our discussion later." He dashed off for the transerver room, quickly rounding a corner as the door closed behind him.

"All security personnel prepare to meet in the residential district of 4th and 5th. Prepare to engage the maverick at this location, repeat, prepare to engage." From all around Neo Arcadia, the pantheons received the command and rushed to the crisis zone, readying their rifles for another skirmish.

* * *

The white light dimmed down as Harpuia set foot on the street. The transfer was successful, and when the guardian opened his eyes, he was shocked at the sight. The residential districts were devastated, even worse than the damage he predicted. He could clearly see the insides of some apartments, along with the pile of rubble that used to be the walls of those buildings. Large potholes and broken segments in the streets were present as far as the eye can see, alongside the demolished cars and broken glass windows. Harpuia quickly dashed forward, his blades activating as he cut through the air with his jets. He prepared himself for anything, anything that would suddenly surprise him. 

_**BANG**_

A muffled shot caught the guardian's attention and he quickly looked to his left. A black round, shaped in a perfect sphere was flying toward him, but it was quickly taken care of with a slash of the blade. The guardian stopped and turned his attention to the origin of the shot, a single soldier, adorned in violet armor and a black visor. "A galleon model?" Harpuia looked with concern.

The galleon model of the standard pantheon had been forbidden from development due to their association with the late Dr. Weil, the madman who had created chaos during the Elf Wars and briefly usurped power in Neo Arcadia. During his reign of terror, Weil had modified the standard pantheon to be more destructive and intimidating, thus creating the galleon and disposing of the older models. Of course, despite their modifications including an optional incendiary launcher, they had the same durability as its predecessor, rendering them especially vulnerable to energy blades.

The guardian shook aside the thought and prepared himself. Despite the question of why this was here, it was still a threat, and needed to be dealt with. "Haa!" Harpuia dashed over to the sole galleon and swung his right blade to the ground, slicing the soldier in two. A small explosion resulted from the attack, but immediately afterward, the sound of another launcher caught Harpuia's attention. He quickly dashed upward, dodging another grenade and the pillar of fire that followed. To his left, he saw a large number of galleons approaching, all armed with either a machine gun or incendiary grenades. The guardian wasted no time, quickly dashing for the large group with his blades at the ready. However, a single thought was running through his mind as he came closer and closer to the group…Where was the security force?

"Hyaaa!" The guardian cut down three galleons and quickly swooped upward, his blades trailing by his side. He quickly turned around and dove sharply, coming in at an unbelievable speed toward the ground. His blades remained crossed at his chest, his arms ready to swing at a moment's notice. He was coming in, closer…closer…now! "Haaa!" Harpuia moved the blades in a horizontal 'X' shape, cutting through the lines with a powerful slash down the waistlines of the galleons. He quickly changed his orientation and executed a back flip in mid-air, digging his heel into the street to decelerate. Once the acceleration ceased, he got onto one knee and swung to the left, cutting down another two galleons. He then executed a slash with his right blade, cutting diagonally through another soldier as he got back on his feet. Two of the mechs approached from behind, their weapons at the ready, but Harpuia swiftly sent a swift kick to their abdomens. He spun on his heel and swiftly cut the two down with a one-two slash, swinging both arms diagonally in the figure of an 'X', crossing them. However, he wasn't finished yet. With his arms crossed, he quickly spun around once more. He bent forward, and with strong force, he swung both blades out of the formation, sending a pink shockwave toward the remaining galleons. It quickly mowed down the remaining mechs, cutting through them so swiftly that it took a second for them to register the attack, but by that time, their bodies had already been cleaved in two. They exploded in sync, their bodies at a slight slant as this occurred.

Once he finished, Harpuia held this stance for a brief moment. All around him were the remains of the galleons, but he had the feeling that it wasn't over. He scanned his surroundings, searching for any sign of further opposition, which thankfully, did not appear. However, as he returned to a stand with his blades by his sides, something was bothering him. The galleons, even with their large numbers, they couldn't have caused all this damage. The likelihood of those pitiful mockeries devastating the apartment buildings and the streets like this were very slim, in fact it was unlikely enough that this many galleons could have gotten past the perimeter guards. Now that he mentioned it…He looked around the streets.

Where's the security force?

Suddenly, he felt a strong rumble beneath his feet. His boots instinctively activated and allowed him to hover inches above the ground, safe from the strong shockwaves that suddenly struck. A 'beep' caught his attention from his helmet, indicating a message from his operator.

"What?"

"Sir, I'm detecting a large mass of energy nearby your position. I can't confirm what it is, but be careful."

Harpuia looked about the streets, noticing large blobs of a violet colored liquid. They moved about silently and eerily, almost as if they had a mind of their own. Then, realization hit him. This was what caused all this damage! "Operator, where's the security force?"

"The security force should be near your position sir. Are you sure they aren't there?"

"No, none of them are here." He watched as the blob slowly grew larger before him, the liquid taking the form of a grotesque humanoid-like figure. More and more of the liquid trailed from the rubble to the amalgamation before the green guardian, and he instinctively hovered back several feet. His hands gripped the pink blades tightly, the guardian now staring skyward as the amalgamation of liquid continued to grow. "This thing must have been what caused all this damage."

Then, as the liquid finished 'growing', Harpuia spotted a galleon head residing inside the liquid. Obviously, that was the control source for this liquid beast, codenamed Rainbow Devil mk. II. He looked around once more. Again, there was no sign of the security pantheons, not even one. Harpuia sighed and stared up at the large creature.

"Looks like I got to do this alone." He assumed fighting stance and prepared for battle.

* * *

_**WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!  
**_

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Reviews including constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading! 


	3. Chapter 2: The First Aftermath

Alright, next chapter! Read and enjoy you guys! Updates now will probably be a little bit slower due to higher priorities, but I'll try to update often and keep the story flowing. Until then guys, just enjoy the chapter!

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_**Disclaimer: I do not own Megaman or the characters, they are copyright Capcom

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**Chapter 2: The First Aftermath**

The sage jumped back as a violet palm struck the ground, crushing the pile of rubble he had just stood on. The Devil made a groan and suddenly leaned forward, its body disintegrating into a puddle of purple goo. The head stared ominously as its liquid body bounced into the air, the violet substance changing into an icy blue. Harpuia maneuvered out of the way as the thing crashed into the ground, freezing the street on contact. The sage boosted forward and executed a swift slash at the core. "Huh!" The Devil's body began to crystallize, the icy blue solidifying into beautiful reflective crystals and releasing a frigid air. Within moments, clear stalagmites burst forth, the icicles launching from the crystal at high speeds. The sage grunted and quickly deflected them with his blades, shattering them in the process as he boosted into the air. The remainder of the icicles flew past his feet due to Harpuia's higher altitude, but as he burst forward with his jets,

"Huh?" A cold chill gripped his back, freezing his wings. "Agh!" He swiftly decelerated and he found himself heading straight for the ground. Acting on instinct, Harpuia quickly changed his orientation and hit the ground with his feet, his heels digging into the broken street. With the added momentum, he quickly executed a roll, absorbing the shock and coming up just inches from the Rainbow Devil. With his blades gripped tightly he prepared to stab and impale the core just in front of him, but a sound from his left caught his attention. A large fist carved from the icy crystals flew toward him. It aimed squarely for his body but the attack missed with a simple duck from the guardian. Harpuia then saw the core before him, and as he dodged the streaming icicles coming from the ground, he hacked away at the galleon head, steadily weakening its control of the goo.

With the last slash at the core, the guardian noticed the Devil beginning to return to its liquid state. However, instead of the frigid cold, he felt an intense heat, as if the thing had become a raging inferno. Suddenly, he was aware of a growing heat from behind him, and upon looking over his shoulder; he spotted three columns of fire heading straight for him. He quickly rolled out of the way of the first one and jumped over the second, then, as the third approached him, it suddenly made a curve. Harpuia's eyes widened. He lunged to his left and just barely missed the huge column, the ends of the spiraling flare singing his foot. "Ungh…"

The guardian quickly got back on his feet, his blades at the ready. He watched the Devil, now in its red fire form, become a humanoid once more. The core stared at him from within the magma-like liquid as it analyzed another strategy, to which Harpuia stared back with his weapons at his sides. Then, after the brief staring contest, he decided to take the initiative. "Huh!" He boosted forward. He held his blades crossed over his chest as he approached the Devil, constantly bursting forward, his feet barely touching the ground. A stream of magma shot forth from the creature's fist but Harpuia maneuvered past it. He continued to boost toward his opponent, dodging yet another stream of magma. By now, the Devil had diminished to half its size with the expulsion of liquid, and in response, the head decided to make a desperate move. Harpuia had stopped boosting and began sprinting, holding his left blade close to his chest while the right blade dragged behind him. He remained low to the ground and was closing in fast, aiming for the galleon head which had now moved to the midsection of the body. He didn't even flinch as the temperature suddenly spiked, the very street starting to melt.

The creature appeared to roar, its body now nothing more than a perfect sphere which burst forth with incredible speed. Tongues of fire licked the air as the makeshift comet shot toward the green guardian, leaving behind the galleon head to hover above the ground. However, even with the intense glow of the comet, Harpuia didn't lose sight of his target. He boosted once more and leaned forward, bursting underneath the flying ball as it splashed on the street behind him, turning into a large, bubbling puddle. The sage pushed forward one last time and once he was in range, he swiftly swung his left blade and followed up with his right. He then executed a triple slash, cutting three times and ending with the pink shockwave. His blades swung simultaneously from the sides then pushed back, making a dull 'X' shape that cut through the head twice. He then slashed at it six times in succession, gracefully swinging the blades and slicing away at the core three times with each sword. As Harpuia continued the swift offensive, the core began to crack. It was almost terminated.

Harpuia prepared for the final slash, but just before he could bring down his right hand, a sloshing sound caught his attention. He barely saw the blob of liquid behind him jump high into the air, the magma still burning brightly with fire. Another two blobs descended toward him and he swiftly boosted forward and jumped over them, dodging another two pillars of flame. Upon landing on the ground, he pivoted on his foot and faced the Rainbow Devil once more, the thing changing again with a crackle of electricity. The magma transformed into plasma, and within moments Harpuia spotted a crackling fist flying toward him. He quickly rolled to the right and immediately afterward, jumped up to avoid a sweep of an open palm. The plasmatic hands of the Devil returned to the body and the head stared ominously, its mind working frantically to come up with a strategy in desperation.

By now, Harpuia's jets had come back online, the pink flash bursting from his wings once more. Seeing the final opportunity, the guardian burst forward, his jets pushing him to the maverick. One last hit and that will be the end of the Devil and its destructive course. The concern of the security force was fleeting as Harpuia flew closer and closer, just out of range of the thing. Suddenly, just as he swung the swords, a powerful electric shock coursed through his body. "Aaaaah!" The guardian winced and gritted his teeth, bearing the horrible pain that coursed through him. Despite the fact that he was resistant to electricity, he still felt its powerful, hindering effects. He looked down and to his surprise, found himself grabbed by a third fist. The Devil had managed to grow a third arm out of its plasmatic body, with the electricity now coursing freely through the sage.

"Aaaaaugh!" Harpuia screamed and tried to break free, slicing away at the closed fist. The next thing he knew, he was pulled toward the 'eye' of the Rainbow Devil and suddenly pushed away, flying through the air. He landed harshly against the street and rolled on his side, moving over the uneven ground and hitting against the debris. Once he stopped, Harpuia quickly got back on his feet and prepared to rush forward. The electricity didn't hinder him as much as the ice did, and his jets were still online to increase his mobility. However, the Devil had disappeared. Suddenly, a loud crackle came from above. A bright white light shot down from the sky, heading straight for the guardian as he watched it close in on his face. Realization soon hit him, and just before the lightning bolt struck him, Harpuia sidestepped away. A second bolt rained down from the sky but he maneuvered away with a boost forward. Then a third and fourth bolt shot simultaneously, both curving toward the Devil's opponent. However, the two were dodged once more by a simple jump just before they struck the ground.

Once his feet touched the ground, Harpuia gazed skyward, spotting the yellow abomination atop an apartment complex. He wasted no time, quickly activating his jets and bursting skyward. The Devil seemed to hesitate for a brief moment, before it quickly sent droplets of indigo plasma raining on his opponent. The thing was panicking now. One last strike at that momentum would not only cut through the plasma, but also destroy the core! Another lightning bolt was sent but Harpuia dodged with a roll to his right. The windows zipped by him as he continued to shoot skyward, swiftly closing the distance between him and the Rainbow Devil. As for the droplets, the guardian swiftly swung his blades to cut, push, and deflect them away. His wings pushed onward, his boots boosted him to an incredible speed, and once he saw the body of the Devil before his eyes, Harpuia burst forward.

"HYAAAAA!" A loud slice sounded in the air, and for a moment, time stood still. The sage panted as the shocks took their course through his body, having flown straight through the electrical goo. Behind him, the core remained suspended in the plasma, seemingly unharmed. However, within a second, it fell apart, revealing it to have split into three equal pieces. Harpuia got back on his feet and turned, seeing the damaged core flash uncontrollably and the liquid body change colors constantly. Blue, yellow, red, purple, the colors constantly changed in the blink of an eye as the core's frequency increased. However, just as Harpuia smirked upon expecting an explosion, it stopped. The liquid stopped flashing at the original violet tint, and the galleon head, which was once flashing at an extremely high frequency, was in its original state. "What?"

Then, the head slowly turned and faced Harpuia, the black visor steadily becoming a crimson red. The goo in turn rose from the rooftop and accumulated around the broken core, the once amorphous body becoming a liquid sphere. The sound of corrosion entered the air as the goo flowed into the sphere, revealing the substance to be highly acidic. It began to flux, moving spastically in midair as the head began to grow redder and redder by the second. At that moment, Harpuia's eyes widened. This thing wasn't designed to just explode after defeat, it was designed to self-destruct!

The frequency grew higher and the fluctuation became more erratic, and just before the core finished the sequence, the guardian jumped off the roof. As he grasped the roof and slid down to the ground, a low explosion entered his audio sensors…followed by a loud splash. The globs of acid rained off the roof down onto the street, but they were only small gobs compared to the larger blobs that ate away the rooftop. Harpuia hovered in place about four floors below the roof, all the while watching the purple droplets fall to the street and briefly corrode the ground. He waited for a good minute or two before he determined it was safe to go back, the question of his security force once again entering his mind. However, as the guardian looked back up at the roof, he stifled a gasp.

A reploid was staring at him, watching him with cold, unmoving eyes. His red helmet had four identical streaks that seemed to stretch to the back, two of which were red while the other two were white. Behind him, barely noticeable, was a blonde ponytail that hung idly in the breeze, and in his hands, he held two weapons, immediately recognizable…the Z-saber and the Z-buster. No…It couldn't be…

Before he could question, the figure ran off. As the familiar blonde ponytail left his view, Harpuia burst upward, pushing his speed to the max. It can't be…It's impossible! The rooftop came into view, the place damaged beyond belief. Large holes were present across the floor, the tiles were severely burned by corrosion, and the 'edge' of the roof was virtually nonexistent. However, Zero was nowhere in sight.

"…Impossible." The entire rooftop was clear, but…no; it must have been an illusion. Zero died during Ragnarok, it was impossible for him to have survived. The logic constantly played through his head, but despite talking through it several times, Harpuia couldn't deny that he saw him. It wasn't a silhouette, nor was it a ghost; it was Zero in the flesh!

"Sir,"

The voice shook him out of his daze. "Yes?"

"Are you alright? I've noticed the maverick reading has faded."

"I'm fine. Don't worry." He replied calmly. He then heard the familiar footsteps of the soldiers, and when he looked down to the side, there was the security force, all of them quickly running to the scene with their arm-mounted guns ready. Harpuia sighed. "Operator, recall the security force, the threat has been averted."

"Yes sir, I'm issuing the commands now."

"Also," He paused. "How severe are the casualties?"

The operator paused. "Casualties have now been marked to be 312 sir, but only 50 of them have been humans."

The guardian let out a hiss. "…Thank you. Have the Guardians managed to evacuate everyone else?"

"Yes sir. They are all receiving medical attention now."

"Good. I'll report back to the main building shortly." He ended the conversation and looked across the rooftop once more. It must have been an illusion, as hard it is to believe, it must be an illusion. The guardian engaged his jets and boosted into the sky.

_**MISSION COMPLETE.**_

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Prairie watched from the window as the ship slowed to a stop. She sat erect in her seat as she heard the engines drone loudly, the view showing the tops of some trees and the walls of several buildings.

"Prepare for landing." Rouge stated, typing away at the keyboard. Rouge was one of the reploids who witnessed the fall of Ragnarok so many years ago alongside Ciel and the Resistance. She was the one who personally aided Zero in his missions during the war against Weil, the one that had ended with the crimson warrior's death. Despite her demeanor and appearance, Rouge still felt some guilt for what had happened. She was only doing her job, transferring and being a supporter for his missions, however, not only did her actions cause Zero's death, but it made Ciel sad. Ever since he died, the poor girl was trying to be strong, pick up the pieces after his death, but despite her firmness, Ciel was still fragile. Rouge knew that she had affection for the crimson reploid, but she also knew that Zero didn't return her feelings. He was probably just oblivious, but then again, perhaps he was truly emotionless like that Copy X. He probably didn't even know his death would cause her this much pain, maybe if he had known, he could've returned. Yet, even so, Rouge herself made her sad because she sent him away, away for eternity to wander cyberspace.

The engines whirred loudly as the ship closed in on the landing pad. Hydraulic hisses sounded and the craft tumbled slightly, groaning and shaking from impact. "Landing complete." Rouge stated.

"Thank you Rouge." Prairie walked out of the command room and headed for the main exit. After taking the elevator down to the second floor, she walked down a large hallway and made a turn to the right. Before her, there was the entire group of Guardians, all either carrying one of the wounded or holding a weapon. "Okay everyone, we're here." She stated simply. "Open the hatch."

"Yes ma'am." One reploid stated. He reached over and pressed the red button nearby, causing a beep to sound. The large wall behind them began to lower, revealing itself to be a large hatch that functioned not only as a 'door' to the Guardian airship, but as a walkway. Sunlight beamed in from outside, reflecting off the walkway and shining down upon the group. As the metal strip finally hit the ground, the soldiers filed out, all carrying the injured into the hospital for immediate medical care. Humans and reploids, their injuries ranging from minor concussions to severe acidic burns, were filed in. A count of the injured wasn't confirmed, but it was enough so that the majority of the staff had to work outside, having already filled the three critical care wings of the hospital. Medical personnel worked under a number of tents tending to the wounded, the doctors preparing medicine and engaging surgery while nurses administered first aid and carried boxes of sub-tanks and aid packs.

Once the last member filed out, Prairie walked onto the landing pad, her shoes making a 'clank' with each step on the walkway. She walked under one large tent and looked amongst the group of personnel, scanning for the one doctor she wanted to talk to. "Commander!" Prairie looked to her right, seeing a chubby reploid woman wearing a cap and a tan colored uniform give her a wave. She smiled lightly and made her way toward her, fighting her way through the sea of patients and staff.

"Muguet!" Prairie squeezed through two more people before she finally reached the doctor, stumbling slightly upon stepping foot.

"Well, I'm a little surprised to see you here Commander." Muguet greeted with her usual smile. "What brings you here?"

Prairie chuckled a little. "I just came to check up that's all." Her expression quickly turned serious. "The maverick attack on the residential area has taken a heavy toll on lives. We haven't had this many injured since the threat of Ragnarok years ago."

Muguet nodded. "Yes, I know. Many of the patients here have suffered harsh injuries, but the staff is doing their best to heal them. Unfortunately, we're on the verge of running out of supplies." Just then, a nurse came running up to her. "Did you get the sub-tank I asked for?"

"No ma'am," The nurse panted her hands on her knees. "We're fresh out. I'm sorry, but I was able to get this." She raised her arm to reveal a rectangular box with the Red Cross, the recognizable symbol for medical supplies.

"A med pack." Muguet said with some disappointment. "Okay, thank you. I guess I'll have to improvise then." She took the pack in hand.

Prairie's eyes widened. "I-Improvise? What do you me-"

"Nurse, raise the man's arm,"

"Yes ma'am." The young nurse raised the groaning patient's arm, the young male human hooked up to an oxygen tank. As Muguet opened the pack and pulled out packet of bandages, Prairie gasped at the sight of the man's arm. The spot just above his elbow was almost void of skin, revealing his bone and sinew. Surrounding it was blackened skin enclosed in a red ring of irritation, causing her stomach to twist.

"Nurse, prepare to administer a vaccine on his wrist. Until we get a subtank, we have to prevent him from getting an infection." The nurse nodded. She took out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and flipped it over onto a cotton ball, letting it soak up the liquid. She then dabbed it against the man's skin and slowly brought a needle to his vein. Prairie gasped, trying to look away, yet at the same time, somewhat entranced. She watched the needle come closer, closer, until finally, a small drop of blood escaped onto his skin. His breathing only intensified her sudden sense of revulsion, the slow, aching breathing of the man unchanging even after the needle was inserted. Then, the needle was taken deeper into his vein, and at that point, she couldn't take anymore.

Prairie turned away and coughed loudly, almost like a hack. She had her hands on her knees and stared at the ground, coughing loudly and violently. The repulsive image was still burned in her mind, and the smell didn't help either. She gasped and struggled to take a breath, her artificial body unable to take the sights inside.

"Commander," Muguet came over and patted her back. "Are you alright?"

Prairie coughed. "Yes Mu-guet COUGH! I'm fine." She gasped.

"Why don't you head on outside ma'am, it's not a comfortable place here." Prairie only nodded and ran for the nearest exit. She passed by more personnel and struggled to avoid looking at the other horrid injuries around her. Then, once she made it outside the tent, she made a loud grunt and placed her hands on her knees, taking deep breaths of the wonderful fresh air. The commander was dully aware of a loud exhaust coming in front of her.

"Are you alright Commander?" A voice asked.

Prairie's eyes quickly opened, recognizing the voice. "Yes Harpuia, I'm" she coughed "fine." The commander took a few deep breaths before she finally pulled herself up, regaining her composure.

"I see that you've never seen the casualties of a maverick attack." The sage said stiffly.

The girl took another breath. "I've seen them, but…they were never this bad…" The two entered a small silence, save for Prairie's continuing deep breaths. "I guess…we are to…finish the discussion?"

Harpuia only nodded.

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Well that's the end of that chapter! I hope you guys like it so far, despite the fact that I have received no reviews yet. As always, your feedback will be greatly appreciated and I would certainly like to hear your opinions. 

Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 3: The Gilded City

Whoo! I'm on fire with this thing!

Alright guys, 3rd chapter's up and ready. Unfortunately there's no action at this time, but I promise you there will be in the next chapter. This chapter's pretty short too, so I'm sorry about that. I wanted to make it longer, but I think it's better if I were to cut it off here for now because I need to make a slight time skip later.

Anyway, enjoy!

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_**Disclaimer: I do not own Megaman Zero or the Megaman franchise or characters.**_

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**Chapter 3: The Gilded City**

The automatic door opened, revealing a large, plain conference room. Sunlight beamed in through the great viewing windows on the opposite side of the table and bathed half of the chairs in the afternoon sun. The two walked toward the large table, the clacking of Prairie's heels and the clicking of Harpuia's boots the only sounds in the room. A brief glimpse out the windows revealed that the Guardians' command ship was still docked on the landing pad, the scene showing the tents in the hospital courtyard as doctors and nurses tended to the patients.

"Now then," Harpuia stated, taking a seat "first, let me apologize for my manner earlier. Realizing that mavericks had managed to-"

"It's alright Harpuia." Prairie took the seat next to him. "I understand." She sighed. "When I heard how far they penetrated into the city, the first thing I thought was to send in my forces to deal with the threat. I didn't even think about evacuating the citizens until you've suggested it. I should be the one asking for the apology."

The guardian sighed. "You wanted to show me that the Guardians were not just 'minute men'." He surmised rather bluntly.

A twinge of irritation shot through her mind, but the reploid kept it concealed. "…Yes Harpuia."

He let out a 'hmm'. "I apologize, but this is the entire point of our discussion. Commander, I have already said what needed to be said earlier." He paused. "…The Guardians are not ready to be an auxiliary force for Neo Arcadia. After seeing how they handled the maverick attack, I have concerns for the people's safety as well as their own."

"Harpuia, you know that first attack was coincidental. We haven't had an attack from a maverick that size in months."

"Even so Commander," He looked at her, denoting the gravity of the situation. "I expected them to handle the situation better than what I saw. The sergeant commanded them to retreat into the city…Do you know what could have happened if that mechaniloid got within the perimeter?"

Prairie paused, knowing all too well what that would mean. People would've been hurt. "Harpuia, they aren't mechs,"

"But they understand that the top priority is the protection of the people…and that it comes by protecting the city." The young reploid fell silent, realizing that he seemed to make the soldiers look like sacrifices.

"Harpuia…"

The green guardian sighed and stood up. He walked over to the window, watching the scene in the courtyard. "You must understand Commander. All conflicts will have casualties, soldiers and civilians. It is a leader's duty to lead them into battle, knowing that this is inevitable, and it is a harsh truth that we have to accept." He sighed and paused, feeling some of his old wounds open. He watched the hospital scene continue, seeing the wounded sit on makeshift benches while others lay on stretchers. Numerous humans and reploids must be underneath those tops, all undergoing intensive care just to keep them alive.

"However, the harsher reality we have to accept is…" He paused. "…that they are expendable."

At that moment, Prairie glanced up from her desk, staring with a look of disbelief.

"My decision still stands Commander. Within the course of a week, I will revoke the Guardians duty as an auxiliary force."

"But,"

"It's my final decision Commander." Harpuia reaffirmed. "I will give the Guardians a week. Within this period, the Guardians shall remain an auxiliary force…but afterward, that duty will be revoked." He turned from the window and stared at the young reploid, the girl in disbelief and disappointment. "Is that understood?"

Prairie was silent, looking back at the guardian's green eyes. Her emotions were all tangled together, a mix of shock, disbelief, anger, and disappointment. A small tear appeared on the side of her eye, but she quickly blinked it away. She lowered her head, took a deep breath, and stood up.

"Yes…Master Harpuia." She responded.

"…I'm sorry…but I don't want to see lives lost due to…inexperience." Harpuia walked out of the sunlight and headed for the door. It quickly slid open upon detecting the reploid within proximity, but the guardian had to stop. Before him was an old reploid, bearing an appearance of a middle-aged human. A traditional Resistance robe from years past hung on his shoulders, along with a pair of gloves and an engineer's visor.

Cerveau cleared his throat. "Excuse me," He started. "Master Harpuia, Commander Prairie, I'm afraid there's a concerning matter about those mavericks."

Prairie turned around, spotting the old reploid engineer standing in front of Harpuia. "What do you mean?"

"I have to show you the analysis results. I'm afraid it's rather-"

"Please send me a report Cerveau." He noticed the strange look from the engineer. "I have to head back to the Capital; there are other issues I must tend to at this time."

"…Of course Master Harpuia." He stepped aside and let Harpuia pass, watching him make a turn into the transerver room and in a moment, heard the familiar whir of the device activating. A dull flash of white light appeared on the door and in moments, it faded away. Now, the only people onboard were Prairie and himself, the other Guardians having to help with the wounded or be tended themselves. "Well," Cerveau started "shall we?"

Soon after, Cerveau was on his desk typing away at the computer. Figures came up, diagrams passed by, and wire frames of the mechaniloids constantly rotated at the sides of the monitor. Behind him, Prairie watched as the old reploid worked on his computer, her mind occupied with Harpuia's words. She couldn't accept them, especially his last statement, 'they are expendable'. Of all that he said, she couldn't accept that one. It made them sound like they were nothing but sacrifices, mechs made to accomplish a menial task without being able to think or choose. The members of the Guardians were not mechaniloids, they were reploids! They had the right to choose and live as they wished, they weren't expendable! They were valuable reploids with lives!

"Commander," Cerveau finally broke the uneasy silence.

"Huh?" Prairie perked her head up, focusing on reality once more. "Oh, sorry Cerveau." She sighed. _They are expendable…_Those words continued to echo in her mind. "I was just thinking about what Harpuia said."

The engineer let out a 'hmm'. "I must admit, his words were rather harsh."

The young woman was silent. "So, you heard him say that then?"

Cerveau sighed. "Yes. However, what he says is true."

Prairie's eyes widened. "What?"

"Prairie…" He paused. "Alouette, you don't understand the complexity of war."

"Cerveau," She stated roughly, "It's not a period of-"

"I know, but it still applies to your duties." He remained facing the keyboard as he continued speaking. "Alouette, a battle will always have casualties. It's something we cannot change. No matter how much armor or protective gear we give to soldiers, there will always be those who'll die on the field."

The commander remained silent as he continued.

"This is the reality that our leaders had to face. Master X, Master Harpuia, even Ms. Ciel had to face this." He stopped and turned his chair, letting out a sigh as he faced the saddened commander. "Alouette, as the new commander, this is something you have to come to grasps with. No matter how much we try to protect them, there will always be those who will die."

The girl nodded. "I know Cerveau. Sis told me this all the time, but still…the way Harpuia said it…He sounded like he didn't care at all!"

"That's because he understands the harshness of war." He could tell she was looking quizzically at him. How does this apply to the lives of reploids? "Let me explain. Master Harpuia was a general of Neo Arcadia's forces right? That means that he had a large number of forces under him, including several reploid commanders." He paused. "As you know, there were many times of crisis before our war against Neo Arcadia, and Harpuia's forces were one of the first to enter the fray. Think about how much of his unit was lost during that time."

Visions of Harpuia, blazing through the sky against numerous mechaniloids filled her mind. Below him, soldiers bearing arms and protective armor provided support fire as they struggled against overwhelming odds. Behind him, soldiers wearing jet packs flew by as they struggled against the aerial opponents, some of whom plummeted to the ground. A light pang of empathy struck her, but she wasn't entirely convinced. Harpuia was a general; he wouldn't have time be friends with soldiers. "I understand Cerveau, but he was a general. I don't think he would've…"

"Now think about the war when Zero aided us. Half of Harpuia's commanders had died in an attempt to stop him, and many of them were his friends and comrades."

Despite the fact that she had never seen them, Prairie saw Harpuia with a saddened expression, alone against a white background. She saw faint images of what might've been his friends, including that terrifying falcon she saw at the disposal facility. Beside them were two beetles, one with a rhino-like horn and purple armor while the other had pincer-shaped horns and blue armor. She saw them before at one point, and remembered somewhere hearing they were brothers.

"Those commanders followed Harpuia dutifully and loyally. They didn't treat him just as their superior, but as their friend. I'm sure there were some who did not like him, but think about those who saw him as a friend. How hard would it be for him to send them off to battle, knowing that Zero could easily kill them?" Prairie paused, seeing a parallel to her own situation. "I'm sure Harpuia knew that they would not come back, and I'm sure he didn't want to send them off to their deaths. However, as the general, he had to send them to prevent our actions."

"Cerveau, couldn't he have sent someone else instead of them?" Prairie asked.

"It might've made him a better friend, but they were the best for the situation. Not only that, if Harpuia had sent someone else, he wouldn't be doing his job." The engineer sighed. "Alouette, do you understand what I'm trying to say?" He asked quietly.

The girl was silent, trying to piece together what he told her. "I…I think so."

"Being a leader means having to send your subordinates into battle, including your friends. The only thing is though, is that if you have become good friends with those who serve you, then it's hard to send them into battle, because you don't want to lose them." Alouette nodded. "That's the problem. Despite the fact that you've come to value them as friends, the truth is that they are still expendable. Their first duty is not as friends, but as soldiers to follow your orders."

"But-"

"They volunteer their lives for you and others. They signed up because they wanted to help you, even though they knew they could die in the field. They're not here to be friends; they're here to help you in battle." Cerveau stated.

Prairie stood still, trying to take in all that was said. In the back of her mind, she knew that this was true, as much as she wanted to reject it, it was true. "So…" She finally started. "Is that why Harpuia wanted to take that duty away?"

Cerveau nodded. "I would think so. Aloeutte, like I said, you're still young. You don't understand the complexity of war and loss. Commanding soldiers means that you would have to send to battle, many of whom would probably not return. It becomes especially difficult if the soldiers you send are your friends, people you care about even though they have enlisted their lives to help you." He sighed. "I think this is what Harpuia realized. Before receiving this duty, you have never experienced loss as a commanding officer. I'm sure there are other reasons, but I think this may be a primary one besides inexperience."

Prairie remained silent, thinking about what Cerveau had said. Then, she gave a sigh, feeling somewhat alleviated. "I…see." She tried to smile, though inwardly she felt troubled. "Thank you Cerveau."

"You're welcome." He noticed the expression on her face, seeing that she was still distressed. He looked back at the screen for a moment, then back at the commander. "If you want to see the report another time, then that's-"

"No, it's okay." Alouette said affirmatively. "Let me see it." Cerveau nodded and took a seat. "Oh, one more thing." The engineer turned his head. "Don't call me 'Alouette'. I'm not a child anymore Cerveau."

He nodded. "Of course, Commander."

* * *

Harpuia sighed, resting his head against his hand as he signed another folder. He placed the folder away in a drawer and pulled another one from one of the six piles that sat by his desk, the title reading 'Cyber-Elf Care'. He sighed. "One down…" Harpuia looked at the six neat piles near his foot. "Six more stacks to go…" The guardian turned his attention to the folder in his hands and opened it, once more skimming through the contents. Since Harpuia had taken the leadership position, the "Master" of Neo Arcadia, the guardian found himself swamped in paperwork. This was nothing compared to when he was a guardian, back then, all he had to do was fill out reports. Now, he had to READ the reports, every SINGLE one of them from the lowest to highest branch of the Neo Arcadian government, and the stacks seemed to grow higher by the day. 

After a few minutes, Harpuia placed his signature, agreeing to put in better care for cyber-elves. Once again, he opened his drawer, placed it alongside the other finished files, and closed the drawer with a light slam. He let out a tired sigh and turned his chair, staring out the large window positioned high above Neo Arcadia. The city looked beautiful to him, peaceful and serene from his viewpoint. However, it was only an illusion, a gilded picture that hid the strife beneath the beauty. Even after twenty years of reconstruction, Neo Arcadia was far from the utopia it was decades ago. Rising discrimination, Increasing political tensions, and a failing economy were only some of the problems present, but more made themselves known over the passage of time. First there was the dispute about the local park, then the one about construction nearby a residential district, and one of the more absurd ones, a protest of draining a local lake to provide water and resources for the people.

Harpuia continued to look out the window, gathering his thoughts as his hands ran over the shoulders of the formal 'Master's Robe'. The sleeveless, forest green coat was made of the finest thread in Neo Arcadia, complete with an intricate gold pattern on the back. Three golden Xs were threaded into the coat, two on both shoulders, and a large one in the middle of the back of the formal garment. Since he held the highest rank in Neo Arcadia, Harpuia, along with the rest of the political officers, was required to wear formal garments depicting his rank. However, the sage disliked wearing his formal robe. Only Master X was worthy of the title Harpuia bore; the founder of Neo Arcadia was the only true Master of this city. As he ran his fingers over the X on his shoulder, the sage sighed. "Master X…" He closed his eyes and looked across the sky, naively hoping that he would descend from the sky, return to life, and restore the city to its former glory.

"…" Speaking of returning to life…

_BEEP BEEP, BEEP BEEP_

Harpuia turned his head. The blue light on the phone blinked quickly, indicating a caller was on the line. The guardian let out a sigh and walked back to his desk. The thought can wait…It must've been an illusion. Zero is dead…There was no way he could have survived Ragnarok. "Hmph," The sage shook his head, removing the thought from his mind. A rectangular hologram materialized with the tap of a button, showing a young woman with orange hair and a round hair band.

"Master Harpuia, your meeting with Haley is about to begin in fifteen minutes." The secretary stated.

"Thank you Cheryl. Please hold my calls."

"Of course Master Harpuia." The hologram dissipated and the sage let out a sigh. He then headed for the doors and left his office, turning out the lights along the way. However, as the doors closed, he didn't hear the 'ding' from his computer, indicating a new e-mail.

* * *

_**From: Commander Prairie**_

_**To: Master Harpuia**_

_**Subject: Analysis of the mechaniloids. **_

_**6/21/23XX**_

_**5:30 P.M.**_

_**Attachment Included: Guardians Mission Report 6/21/23XX**_

_**Master Harpuia,**_

_**This is the report that Cerveau has shown me after you left. It raises some concern for me and the Guardians and I'd like to look into this immediately. To summarize, we have determined that the mavericks that attacked earlier were not acting erratically or coincidentally attacking the same target. They were being controlled remotely. We are still decrypting the encryption that's hiding the source of the controller, but when we have determined the location, I would like the Guardians to investigate.**_

_**Please reply back to me as soon as possible.**_

_**Commander Prairie  
**_

* * *

Well I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. Once again, I'm sorry there was no action, but I promise you there will be in the next chapter! 

See you later, and thank you for reading!

Please leave a review! Reviews will be greatly appreciated (except for flames)


	5. Chapter 4: Investigation

Phew, this took a lot of work to write up. I said I'd put in action, and now here it is! However the chapter is fairly long, but I hope you guys like it. Enjoy you guys!

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Megaman franchise or the characters. They are copyright Capcom.**_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Investigation**

_**…**_

_**…**_

_**…**_

_**Distress call received.**_

_**Date: 6/21/23XX**_

_**Time: 6:45 P.M**_

_**Location: Area B-664**_

_**Awaiting Plan of Action…**_

_**…**_

_**…**_

_**…**_

_**Initiating Default Plan of Action:**_

_**Reason: Absence of response from Master of Neo Arcadia**_

_**Deploying rescue team to Area B-664…Deploying rescue team to Area B-664…**_

_**Time: 6:48 P.M **_

* * *

Prairie sighed as she looked through her inbox on the computer. Again, there was no new message. It's been over an hour since the report was sent to Harpuia and he still hadn't replied. What's keeping him? He rarely ever stepped away from his computer, so what could be preventing him from sending a reply to her urgent message? 

She tapped the 'X' at the side and the window closed, returning her to her desktop. The picture centered on the screen was the first thing that greeted her. It was a photo of Ciel and Alouette, both with wide smiles as the scientist hugged the little reploid girl, who held onto her own catlike doll close to her chest. Prairie smiled slightly, recalling the event. The picture was taken nearly eighteen years ago when Ciel had just turned 32. That day, the Guardians threw a party for her to celebrate, and in mere hours, the entire ship became a flying cruise of joy and festivity. Everyone was having a good time and almost everyone who had been involved with Ragnarok was present. Even Master Harpuia was at the party, though it was more out of obligation than to actually celebrate.

Prairie sighed. Yes, he was sitting at a desk in a quiet room with papers in his hands. While everyone else had fun and kicked back after hard the hard work of reconstruction, he continued to work for the sake of Neo Arcadia. He didn't celebrate nor had fun that night. All he did was sit at his desk in the simple room and fill out the papers. A time of joy and fun was just an opportunity for him to work, the files scattered across his private little table as music blared from the speakers, lights flashed throughout the halls, and Guardians whooped and screamed as they danced the night away.

As she recalled further, the smile turning into a frown. By now, she had accepted the horrible truth of what happened to her Sis, but right now…she felt a stronger hit to her emotions than usual. She stared at Ciel's smile one last time before she opened up her inbox again. Nothing…still…nothing… The reploid closed her eyes and looked out the window, the orange sky indicating a sunset. When was he going to reply with his answer? Or was he just ignoring her?

"Commander Prairie," The door post lights turned blue and the door opened, revealing the engineer Cerveau. His shoes stepped onto the fuzzy pink carpet as the door closed behind him.

"What is it Cerveau?" Prairie asked, setting her computer to sleep mode. She turned her chair to face him, the arms slamming into the green desk on accident. The commander glanced back quickly and fixed her position, blushing lightly. She cleared her throat. "Sorry."

Cerveau smiled. "It's alright." He continued. "I managed to decipher the coordinate data from the retired mavericks. It turns out my instincts were right, they were being controlled from a single location."

"Hmm, do you have an exact location Cerveau?"

"I've just sent the data to Rouge. She should be interpreting it now." At that moment, a beep sounded.

"Commander Prairie, Cerveau, I have finished interpreting the data." Rouge's voice stated over the P.A.

"What's the location Rouge?" The commander asked.

"…Please come to the command room Commander…I'm afraid the location is significant."

"Okay, we'll be right there." Prairie quickly walked out of the room and into the command room, seeing Rouge continue to type at the keyboard. "What's the location operator?"

"…Area B-664."

Prairie blinked. "I don't understand, what is significant about that area?"

"There was a distress call that originated from this area about fifteen minutes ago." Rouge answered. "It was received at approximately 6:45 P.M. today from Area B-664."

Prairie's eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"I'm sorry Commander, but I thought it wasn't necessary. The Guardians do not have authority to respond to distress calls unless otherwise noted, so I ignored it."

"Hmm, Operator, was that signal sent to anyone in proximity?" Cerveau asked.

"Yes. I'm certain Neo Arcadia has received this signal as well. Assuming Master Harpuia has not responded with a plan within three minutes, a default rescue team is to respond to the signal."

Prairie was silent. "What's wrong Prairie?" Cerveau asked.

"I…I sent a message to Harpuia earlier. I asked him if I could investigate the location we received from the data, but he still hasn't replied back to me."

"So it's likely then that he doesn't know about the mavericks." Prairie nodded. "Then what should we do?"

"…" The young commander contemplated quietly. As much as she wanted to help Harpuia, she knew she would be disobeying protocol if she went in without authority. However, she didn't know how long she would be waiting, let alone, if he would even respond to her. If they waited too long, there could be two possible outcomes.

The rescue team may end up being destroyed if the distress call was a trap, and if that wasn't the case, then the signal would not be investigated. The rescue team's goal is to focus on rescuing injured humans and reploids, so any strange signal, even if it came from a laptop in front of their very eyes, would be ignored.

"Operator, what are the components of the rescue team?"

"They consist of two golems, four ranger pantheons, four slasher pantheons, and ten sentry bots."

"Okay." She sighed. "Set course for Area B-664. Have two squads of Guardians prepped for dispatch."

"What?" Cerveau looked with surprise. "Commander, you are aware that-"

"I know, I'll explain later." The young repoid looked at the operator. "Operator, set coordinates."

"Yes ma'am." The commands were keyed in and the ship set course for Area B-664. Within minutes, it came to a stop above the base of a mountain. "I've pinpointed the signal to be somewhere within the cave. I can't get a precise lock on the location, but it should be somewhere inside."

"Okay." Prairie activated the comm. "Alpha and Beta squads, report to the transerver room immediately. We have arrived at our destination." Two squads each consisting of five men quickly filed into the transerver room, all armed with a standard issue rifle and a combat visor. They stepped onto the large round platform and waited for the transfer.

"Prepare for transfer…" From the command room, Rouge finalized the coordinates. The klaxon blared loudly from the transerver room as the round platform began to swirl with color. "3…2…Transfer!" The alarm ceased and the soldiers disappeared in a white light. They reappeared on the rocky ground just before the cave.

"Alright everyone, the Neo Arcadia rescue team should be somewhere inside the cave. Remember our primary objective isn't the rescue; we're here to investigate a signal sent from this area." Prairie stated over the communication line.

"Yes ma'am." The squad leaders responded.

"Be careful everyone. Send a progress report of anything unusual." The transmission ended and the two squad leaders turned to the rest of the troops.

"Okay everyone, set your IFF beacons to friendly. We don't want those mechs thinking we're mavericks." The men pulled out a small, octagonal device and tapped the button on the middle. A quiet hum sounded and the light turned green, indicating the device now emitted a 'friendly' signal. "Alright everyone, move out!" The ten soldiers moved into the cave, their rifles gripped tightly in their hands.

* * *

_"Everyone stay alert…We don't know what's here, so keep your guard up."_

_(Pssh…)_

_"Commander, this is alpha squad leader. We have currently seen nothing unusual. No sign of the rescue team as of yet. Our IFF beacons are still emitting friendly signals over."_

_"Roger that beta, be careful."_

_"Of course ma'am."_

_(Pssh…)_

_"Sir, I think I see the pantheon units up ahead."_

_"Okay, let's regroup. Beta, we are going to rendezvous with the rescue team, are you following the same route?"_

_"Yes Alpha, copy that."_

_(Pssh…)_

_"Commander this is Beta team leader, we have located the rescue team. We will be proceeding with the mission no-"_

_(gunfire)_

_"What the?"_

_"Auugh!"_

_"Waah!"  
"Gwaaah!"_

_"What's going on?!"_

_"Sir! They're attacking us!"_

_"Why?!"_

_(Gunfire gunfire)_

_(Laser)_

_"Yaaaah!"_

_"Waaaaugh!"_

_"What's going on?!" _

_(gunfire gunfire, explosion)_

_"Damn it, return fire! Return fire!"_

_(Psssh…)_

_"Squad leader, what's going on?!"_

_"Ma'am, the rescue team has opened fire on us! We're being fired upon! REPEAT! WE'RE BEING FIRED UPO-AUUUUGH!"_

_"…"_

_(More gunfire, lasers, and explosion)_

_(Static…) _

* * *

(A few minutes later) 

Harpuia waited patiently as Haley keyed in the data on her computer. The human woman appeared to be in her early forties with long brown hair that reached past her shoulders and bangs that covered part of her eyes. A white robe was adorned over her shoulders along with the same 'X' insignia on her shoulders and her back. Her gloved fingers continued to press the keys with precision as a diagram popped up, showing a wire frame of a golem, the gargantuan mechaniloids of Neo Arcadia. "Here sir," a hologram projected onto the table, revealing a rotating model of a golem in limelight. "This is the new model of the golem I'm planning. As you can see, it's designed to be more defensive than the golems used today."

"I see." The guardian watched as the wire frame stopped. Small rectangles filled with details appeared with a beep, each pointing to a specific part of the golem.

"This model is to implement-"

_BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP!_

The guardian's helmet beeped audibly, indicating a 'caller'. Harpuia sighed. "Excuse me Haley," He tapped the side of his helmet, opening the communication line. "Yes Cheryl?"

"Master Harpuia, I sincerely apologize for interrupting your meeting, but you have a message from Commander Prairie of the Guardians."

"Cheryl," Harpuia started. "I thought I asked you to hold my calls."

"I'm sorry sir, but she says it's very urgent."

Harpuia sighed with exasperation. "Okay, patch her through." The guardian waited for a moment. "Yes this is me Commander, what is the matter? Yes I know about the distress call, I was in a meeting with Head of Defense Haley at the time and…what? What message?" His expression quickly changed from annoyance to urgency as the conversation continued.

"I'm sorry I couldn't reply back to you, I was in a meeting and…what? So the mavericks were being controlled from…No, I highly doubt this is coincidental, but are you sure…Wait, what? You WHAT?! Ugh, how many casualties?! You lost contact with them?! Why the hell were they…That's impossible! We just ran a…Ungh…Okay; look I'll be right there. No, don't do anything! I'll handle this okay?! Good! I'll be right there!" Harpuia closed the line and let out an irritated sigh. "I apologize Haley but I'm afraid I'll have to cut this meeting short. Do you have a copy of the golem data?"

"Yes sir. You can hold onto this for the time being and analyze it for yourself." Haley replied, placing the holographic data disk by Harpuia's side.

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an issue with an incompetent commander." Harpuia quickly rushed out the meeting room and toward the transerver room. He tapped the side of his helmet. "Operator, set transerver coordinates for Area B-664. Can you get a lock on the position of the Guardians airship? Good, set the coordinates there."

* * *

Prairie heard the faint whir of the transerver. The footsteps swiftly grew louder as the guardian ran toward the command room, all the while concealing his frustration behind a hardened expression. The door swiftly opened, and the engineer, the operator, and the commander turned to face the new arrival. 

Harpuia stopped before Prairie. "Explain to me what happened." The young reploid recounted the events that transpired while he was at the meeting, everything from the e-mail she sent to her decision to investigate the signal. She attempted to make eye contact but always found herself staring to the side, frightened and intimidated by the green sage before her. Harpuia let out a grunt and covered part of his head. "You've put me in a very compromising position Commander…"

"I'm sorry…It's just that…"

The guardian raised his hand in front of her. "There's no need for it. Let's focus on the situation at hand. The distress signal is still active right?"

Rouge quickly filled in for Prairie. "Yes. I'm still detecting the signal from within the cave below us. It has currently been transmitting for the past seventeen minutes."

"And we still don't have any information on the control signal…" Harpuia added.

"Yes." Prairie confirmed. "The teams that I dispatched have not returned, so we don't know what exactly is sending the signal."

"Hmm," The guardian remained silent, contemplating. "We'll need to act fast then." He looked back at Rouge. "Operator, are the coordinates for the transerver still set for that cave?"

"Yes. It should be set just before the mouth of the cave."

Cerveau stepped forward. "Harpuia…you're not planning to…"

"We don't have time to wait for another deployment. I'll go in there myself and investigate." The sage turned and headed for the door.

"Harpuia, let me hel-"

"No." Prairie stood with some shock. "You have caused enough damage already. Leave this to me." The young reploid stared with disbelief and shock. She made no sound as Harpuia remained still before the door. "Rouge,"

"Yes Master Harpuia?"

"I will be relying on you for support."

"…Yes Master Harpuia." And with that, the sage ran into the transerver room, the door closing behind him. A few seconds later, Prairie lowered her head and ran for her room. As soon as the door closed, she locked the door and flopped onto her bed, crying into the sheets.

* * *

(_**Veeer-oooom…)**_

Harpuia got up from his kneel, his feet now resting against the rocky grounds of the mountain. Before him was the cave where the Guardian soldiers had entered, along with the rescue team that was dispatched.

Rouge spoke through his communication line. "The signal is still being transmitted from somewhere within the cave. I can't pinpoint an exact location, but it looks like it's somewhere deep inside."

"Okay." Harpuia replied.

"Also, I'm detecting faint signals from within the cave. It looks like there may be some survivors inside, so rescue them if you can."

Harpuia huffed. "Of course." He stared at the open cave, illuminated by the dull lights inside. "Beginning investigation."

_**MISSION…START!**_

The sage quickly rushed into the cave, his blades grasped tightly in his hands. He looked about left and right as he made his way through, searching for any survivors or hostiles. The lights above his head revealed the rocky formation of the structure as well as the metallic posts supporting the ceiling, a sign of activity from miners perhaps decades or centuries ago. Signs of a conflict became more imminent as Harpuia made his way through the cave: Artificial blood spread over the floor and the walls, used rifles lying on the ground, and the occasional bullet hole in the rock formation. Mechaniloids moved about on the ground and in the air, but none of them were hostile to the green sage. The entire cave seemed peaceful, despite the fact that more artificial blood was apparent on the walls.

Upon reaching the next area of the cave, a large, spacious chamber, Harpuia stopped. He looked with shock at the carnage before him, the strong lights stationed above clearly illuminating the room. Five bodies, all of them guardians, were riddled about the area. Bullet holes and slash wounds were present on them, all of which had been fatal to the soldiers. The sage kneeled before one of the bodies, carefully inspecting the wounds. He moved the rifle away and pushed the arm aside, getting a clear view of the round holes in the soldier's protective vest.

Harpuia sighed and stood up. These wounds…they fit the size of…He tapped the side of his helmet. "Operator, are you sure that the Guardians were attacked by the rescue team?"

"Yes. They stated that they were being fired upon before we lost contact."

"Hmm," Harpuia reached down and pulled up the IFF beacon. "These beacons are set to 'friendly', there is no reason they would attack them unless there was some sort of malfunction."

"Could that be possible sir?"

"I highly doubt it. Haley just showed me the new subroutines today during our meeting. No such error should be present, but then what could have…"

(_BANG BANG BANG!)_

He turned his head upon hearing the trademark triple shot. A pantheon rifle! "Resuming mission." Harpuia swiftly boosted forward and ran for the other side of the room, watching the lights dance on the wall as the sound of guns and energy blades grew louder and louder. Then, with a turn at the corner, the sage came to the scene of the conflict. Pantheon units incessantly fired at an unknown target, the four mechs slowly backing away with caution. The sentry units lay immobile around them alongside the four slasher units and three deceased guardians, all with an arm, a leg, or a head missing from their damaged bodies. However, there was something missing.

Where were the golems?

_WHIRRRRR…_

Harpuia instinctively ducked, barely avoiding a green laser swing over his head. The cave rumbled as it cut through the structure, causing debris to fall onto the floor and crush two of the pantheons. As the rumbling continued, a discharging laser battery caught Harpuia's attention, along with the sound of two explosions that accompanied it. He quickly peeked over the rocks once the shaking began to subside, spotting the remaining two golem units, hovering above the floor ominously. They seemed to be staring at him, like two predators watching their cornered prey. In between them were the remaining pantheon units, all destroyed from the lasers and the debris. Harpuia braced himself, feeling a dreadful instinct in the back of his mind. "Cease and desist!" He shouted as he stepped forward.

The golems didn't respond. They continued to stare at the guardian, unmoving and silent. They came closer and repositioned their guns for the new target.

"Cease and Desist!" Harpuia repeated, but again, his command went unheard. They must be malfunctioning…they must have been what caused the destruction! He grunted under his breath and tightly squeezed the hilts, and as the pink energy took the form of triangular blades, Harpuia prepared himself for an attack.

All of a sudden, a loud scuttling noise caught his attention. He stared up at the ceiling and saw what appeared to be numerous spiders crawl across the rocks. The green arachnids suddenly jumped off and landed on the golems. They quickly latched onto the large mechs and created a sparkling line of electricity, making it seem as if the golems were puppets on numerous strings. Then, a loud pulsing noise sounded, and numerous sparks shot through the lines and into the golems. The explosions shook the cave and Harpuia shielded himself from the blast as parts flew across the room. Damaged laser batteries and parts scattered about the rocky floor as the scuttling noise continued, along with the sound of several large thumps. A low hum echoed throughout the room alongside the cacophony of scuttling and thumping, and once the smoke died away, Harpuia stared up at the ceiling.

Above him, in a large, blue electrical web, was a giant green spider. It stared at him with its red eyes while the smaller spiders crawled on the web around its large counterpart. As he continued to stare at the large spider mech, Harpuia prepared his jets.

_**CAUTION…CAUTION…CAUTION…**_

The spider latched onto the web and raised its abdomen, causing the three green diodes on its abdomen to shine with an emerald glow. Blasts of concentrated energy burst forth from the green lights and surged toward the sage, but he quickly boosted forward just before they hit. He then jumped and activated his jets, shooting up toward the spider as it lowered its abdomen. Harpuia stopped inches before the mech and swung his left blade, but the spider quickly moved out of the way. It moved toward the corner of the room as the smaller drones gathered in front, almost like a barrier. Then, they launched off the web toward their prey.

Harpuia looked up and swiftly moved out of the way. A clump of spiders dove past him and settled on the ground, each with a line of blue electricity. The little drones swiftly crawled across the floor and stationed themselves in several points of the room, still connected by the blue webbing. Another clump came flying toward Harpuia but like before, he dodged it. The drones quickly mimicked the previous clump and stationed themselves throughout the room. That's when the sage realized what they were doing. "How clever…" He glanced up and saw the rest of the spiders launch off the web, all of them falling directly for his position.

By now, the blue webbing restricted much of Harpuia's maneuverability. With the spiders remaining stationary on the ground, they used their blue webbing to create a trap. The lines surged with electricity and prevented their prey from maneuvering freely. By quickly decreasing the amount of space for their prey to maneuver, they could easily overcome him in a constrained space. However, they didn't realize they were dealing with a former guardian, one who had not let his skills go to waste. The sage swiftly cut through the rain of spiders, swinging his arms wildly against the unending storm. With each hit, the drones split in two and destructed upon contact with the ground, the parts piling up as Harpuia continued to slice them apart. However, two of the spiders managed to latch onto the guardian, and in moments, they self-destructed.

"Augh!" Harpuia descended only slightly but left a dangerous opening. More spiders latched onto him and self-destructed against his body, dealing damage to his armor that was slowly building. The explosion themselves were insignificant to the green sage, but with this many mechaniloids exploding around him, the damage was becoming serious. He resumed the attack and cut through the last drones, the storm now coming to a stop. The blue lines became slack and the spiders that were still active crawled up the walls and back to the web, all while the 'mother' reappeared from its hiding spot.

Harpuia set foot on the ground and gazed upward, just in time to dodge a blue web of electricity. The spider was moving about erratically over the electrical web as it shot smaller versions of the web at the sage. They came in swiftly from different angles but the guardian easily dodged them. He side stepped out of one, ducked under another, jumped above a third, and finally sliced through a fourth. He then boosted forward and shot into the air, his jets activating once more. Harpuia flew into the web and attempted to slice the spider again, but once more, it dodged his attack. The drones immediately came to assist the mother, but the sage quickly sliced them away.

Three green lasers flew toward him but the sage avoided them once more. He flipped to the right and dodged them as they passed by. Another trio flew toward him and he quickly deactivated his jets, dropping several feet under the lasers. The sage boosted back up and once again flew toward the spider. Again, the mech moved out of the way, but not before sustaining an injury to one of its legs. The segment fell to the ground below and the spider hobbled slightly. It still moved swiftly over its web, but a part of its body seemed to 'sag' into the blue lining. As it stopped for another attack, Harpuia quickly boosted in and cut off another two legs, further decreasing its mobility. Now, the mech was supported by only four legs on one side and one on the other, causing it to nearly topple.

The lights on its abdomen turned from green to red. It hummed loudly and the spider, realizing its loss of mobility, quickly scuttled into the top corner of the room. Its drones swiftly formed a barrier and as Harpuia closed in on the weakened mech, the drones launched off the web. Once more, the guardian slashed away at the storm of spiders, but for those that survived, they continued to fall until they were several feet above the ground. They dangled above the floor by the blue webbing attached to their abdomens, and they quickly climbed back up to the main web. All the while, they dragged their webbing attached to their abdomens, creating new patterns over empty space and coming closer and closer toward the ground. They were expanding the web.

_(Ba-ding!)_

Harpuia glanced back at the mother spider and noticed it moved out of its position. However, something was off. The web was suddenly turning electric yellow. The color quickly spread over the blue lining in a matter of seconds, giving the web a more foreboding tone. The drones near the bottom continued to weave the web with the yellow lining, now adding more and more to the room. Harpuia grunted. Something's coming…He swiftly descended toward the ground, just in time to avoid a powerful jolt through the web. A huge spark traveled through the newly woven web as it charged it with intense energy, enough that it would cause even a golem to be stunned.

Upon nearing the ground, the sage quickly destroyed the weaving drones and stopped the web's construction. He remained in a kneel and watched the electric yellow web above him, noting the strong voltage that coursed through it. At the very top, he noticed the spider crawl to the middle of its new web. Then, upon latching itself to the lining, it raised its abdomen again. The red lights made a low hum and in moments, three laser beams burst forth to the ground. However, unlike the green ones, these remained stable. They struck the ground at different angles and quickly made their way toward Harpuia.

The sage quickly boosted forward. He side stepped away from an incoming beam and ducked underneath another. The third one quickly swept in from the side, but he avoided it with a jump upward. He landed on the ground safely, noting how close he was to the electrical webbing. At that moment, the three beams suddenly closed in, aiming to slice the prey into pieces. Harpuia instinctively rolled to the right, dodging the intersection of the three beams, and just as he got back onto his feet, he did another sidestep, a boost forward, and a jump back. However, as his feet returned to the ground, he felt a slight jolt on his helmet.

"Aah!" Reflexively he turned and sliced what zapped him, which turned out to be part of the electrical web. As the blade cut through, the webbing fell to the ground and dissipated. That small region was no longer an electrical hazard. His mind quickly came to a solution and a plan formed in the sage's head. He boosted upward to dodge another intersection from the lasers and made a semi-circle cut at the web. The result was the same. The web fell apart and dissipated into nothing, becoming safe to traverse.

"Hmph…" The sage returned to the ground and quickly dodged another attempt by the three red lasers, then he boosted upward. He hovered just below the semi-circular region and executed his triple combo, sending three shockwaves cutting through the web. The webbing quickly disappeared, making a clear path for the guardian to fly up toward mech. His jets suddenly engaged and Harpuia burst up toward the ceiling, his blades crossed over his chest. As he approached the mechaniloid, he sliced away more of the webbing for maneuvering room, allowing him to dodge the three laser beams in a larger space. The spider realized its prey was approaching it, and concentrated its three red diodes for path through the web. It quickly scuttled back toward its hiding place, changing the lasers' angle in the process. The sage quickly dropped altitude and changed his course, cutting through the web swiftly toward the spider. He ignored the occasional spark on his armor and only accelerated, closing in quickly on the panicking mechaniloid.

"Hyaaaaaaa!" The protective web was now gone and the spider had nowhere else to maneuver. Harpuia dug his blades into its three eyes and sliced away the remaining four legs. After a brief pause, the web reverted back to its original blue, but it was beginning to fade…The mechaniloid flashed once…then twice…and in seconds, flashed at an incredible frequency. Light broke out from the spider's body and in moments, a familiar sound entered Harpuia's ears. The web finally disappeared, and the defeated body fell toward the ground.

_**BRING BRING BRING…SHEEEEEEEEEW…**_

The explosion engulfed the room in a brilliant white light. The segmented parts of the spider fell to the floor with a 'clang', and once the green guardian set foot on the ground, the cave was silent. Harpuia looked about the room and spotted another corridor that seemed to lead to a dead end, but upon squinting, he noticed a faint light.

"Operator, are you still receiving the distress signal?"

"Yes Master Harpuia. The distress beacon is still active somewhere within the cave. You should to be in closer proximity than before, but I still can't determine its exact location."

"And what about the signals from the Guardians?"

"They are still active as well. Again, I can't get their exact location, but they should be closer to you now."

"Alright. I'm continuing the investigation." At the very least, the spider wasn't the one who sent the distress call, and with eight bodies accounted for, there should be, at most, two survivors. Harpuia carefully walked down the corridor toward the faint light, gripping his blades tightly. The illumination grew brighter as he went further down the tunnel, the rocks now reflecting a bluish tint. Then, once the guardian came to the end of the corridor, he turned to his right and discovered what was causing the glow.

It was a door. The posts reflected a blue light, indicating that it was unlocked. As if on command, it suddenly opened, revealing a small, square shaped room. Curious, Harpuia cautiously stepped inside, his blades ready at his side. He looked about the small space but found nothing interesting. However, just as he was about to walk out, he noticed a panel on the right side.

There was a single white button on the bronze panel embedded in the wall…and it was covered with dried, artificial blood. The sage let out a 'hmph', cursing himself for his stupidity…This was a lift.

Harpuia tapped the button and after a quiet 'ding', the door closed and locked. The room shook and after a loud hum of the motor, the lift began its descent underground.

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Wow, that was long. This is as of now, my longest chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it! 

Thanks for reading! And as always, please R&R!


	6. Chapter 5: The Abandoned Lab

Hey guys, MHTT here again. I finally got this chapter up, and it's about time I realized I should spend some time on my other fic (I'm working on another fic at the moment, and it has been receiving some neglect).

Anyway, funny story…Ordinarily I was in a dilemma on how to show Harpuia's trek through the lab. It was either going to be showing an entire run through of the lab, or have a 'cutscene' that showed Prairie and back at the Guardian HQ. Eventually I decided to have the latter because it would show some better characterization, and because I didn't want to have to bore myself with writing action. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE writing action stuff, but I didn't want to overload a single chapter with it.

Alright, that's enough from me. Enjoy you guys!

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_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Megaman franchise or the characters presented in the fic. They are copyright Capcom and Keiji Inafune.**_

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**Chapter 5: The Abandoned Lab**

His hands shook uncontrollably as he struggled to balance the rifle. He attempted to raise the scope to his eye level as the whirring grew louder, the lift slowly descending the shaft. Ethan wasn't sure how long he had been out or if anyone else made it, but what he did know was that he may be in trouble. "Ungh…" His arms faltered as the pain became unbearable, forcing him to lower the weapon. He lowered his head and took in harsh gasps, the blunt pain oscillating with each inhale and exhale. He struggled to keep his legs completely still, the pain from his knees sending painful shocks to his mind, signaling critical damage to his legs. Hell, his entire body was in critical condition! Those golems had nearly killed him when he was detected, how he managed to slip past them to the elevator was a mystery even to him.

"Ungh…Ah…Ugh…" He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "Gyaaaaa!" He forcefully raised his arms and focused the scope, struggling to maintain his sight on the door. The posts were still red but the hum was getting louder. Soon, those posts will turn blue and the door will open, when that happens…Ethan groaned but kept his rifle raised. He had to be quick, quicker than whoever was in that elevator.

Then, the 'thump' resonated through the small room. The lights turned blue, and the door quickly opened to reveal…

Ethan let out a painful sigh, dropping his weapon on the ground as his arms fell to his sides. "Aaaaah…oh, thank god…Oh thank god…" He murmured. Standing in the door was Master Harpuia.

The sage quickly ran out of the open elevator and kneeled before the wounded reploid. "Are you alright?" He asked with concern, obviously noting the heavy damage.

"N…Not really…" Ethan grunted, struggling to recover after the tiresome ordeal. "Those golems did some critical damage…I don't know how I managed to get past them…"

"Was there anyone else with you?"

"Uh…" Ethan looked back into his memory, thinking who else made it with him to the elevator while the other Guardian soldiers were being destroyed. A young face came up. "I think so…Marcus was his name…" He sighed. "He went on without me…I was too tired and injured to go on with him, so he went by himself…"

The sage let out a small grunt. "I'll have the operator transfer you back to your HQ. You have nothing to worry about, you're safe now."

Ethan smiled weakly. "Thanks…Master Harpuia…"

Harpuia nodded. "Operator, I've found a survivor. Transfer him back to the ship and have a medical team on standby."

"Roger that Master Harpuia. Transferring now…"

"Thanks…" Ethan responded. "Hey," As Harpuia made his way to the opposite door; he turned his attention to the wounded reploid. "He said something about this being a lab before I conked out…" With that said, the soldier disappeared in a stream of white light. He wasn't sure how much it would help, but questionably relevant information is better than no information. Once the light faded away, the green sage looked to the open doorway and stepped over the threshold. He tightened the grip on his blades and ran through the empty hall. Time was of the essence. If there really was someone in distress, then he had to hurry.

* * *

"Why…Why is this happening?" Prairie pulled her head up, her face red with tears. She stared out the window at the night sky. How long has it been? Five minutes? Ten? Thirty? An hour? The commander shook her head. She didn't know, and frankly, she didn't care.

"_You've caused enough damage already."_

"_You're still young…"_

_"They are expendable…"  
"Harshness of war…"_

The words echoed through her mind as she looked at the black sky, focusing on the pale moon hanging above the clouds. She blinked once, letting tears stream down her cheeks. "It's all my fault…" She whispered, looking at the moon sadly. "Why…Why was I so STUPID?!" She slammed her balled fist into the mattress and buried her face in the sheets once more. Why…Why am I so damn weak?! Why am I so stupid?! Why is all this happening to me?!

The thoughts constantly ran through her head, causing Prairie to shed more tears. She sobbed quietly in the sheets for some time, angry, frustrated, and disappointed in herself and her leadership ability. The past two days had been a nightmare, and she wanted nothing more than to leave this embarrassment behind. She promised her Sis that she would take care of everything, make sure that she would look after the Guardians after she left.

Yes…She promised…

* * *

"_Mama, do you really need to go?" A young voice asked._

"_Yes Al-Ette, I have to." An older female voice responded. Ciel turned and looked at the little girl with a smile. "I'm sorry Al-Ette, but I have to do this without you okay?"_

"_But what about the other people who are coming with you?" The young reploid asked, hugging her doll. _

"_They're coming with me because they want to." Ciel answered with a sigh. Her blonde ponytail briefly touched the floor upon exhaling, the style being a tribute to the Resistance reploid Zero. "I know you want to come Al-Ette, but it's too dangerous." _

"_But it sounds like fun!" Alouette responded childishly. The girl pushed off the bed and ran to her mother's side, her head now up to the woman's waist where her pink skirt started. Within the eighteen years that had passed, Ciel had matured into a beautiful woman, gaining a modest physique for her age. She had grown several inches and put on a little weight, but the scientist was still petite compared to the standards. _

_Ciel sighed and kneeled, staring at her daughter in the eye. Their sapphire blue eyes met at eye level, the young reploid staring at the older human with some regret and sadness. "I already told you Alouette, I don't want you to get hurt. That's why I'm going alone. If I could, I would let you come with me, but it's too dangerous."_

"_Well, how long will you be gone?" Alouette asked._

"_I'm not sure. Maybe a week or two…" She smiled. "But I promise, I won't be gone later than that okay?" _

_The girl's face lit up and she nodded her head. "Okay Mama! Promise?"_

"_I have never broken a promise have I, Al-Ette? I promise I'll come back after two weeks at the most." She chuckled and ruffled the girl's hair with her gloved hand. "You have to be a good girl while I'm gone alright?"_

_Alouette again nodded. "Yes Mama."_

"_Make sure nothing happens to everyone here. I'm entrusting this to you alright Al-Ette? Make sure nothing bad happens okay?"_

"_Yes Mama!" Alouette responded enthusiastically. "I promise!" _

* * *

_I promise…I promise…I promise…_

Prairie gazed at the picture on her computer, staring at Sis as she smiled in the frozen image. If she saw her now, what would she say? What would she do to her if she knew about this…?

"Sis…" She looked down at the floor, lowering her head in shame. "I'm sorry…"

"Prairie?" A knocking came at the door along with a familiar voice. "Prairie, Master Harpuia found a survivor. He's in critical condition right now but I'm sure he'll survive." Cerveau awaited a response from inside, but he received nothing but silence. "Commander? We can question him about what happened down in the cave. I think we can-"

"Go away…" The statement was barely above a whisper, but the old reploid caught it.

He remained silent before responding again. "Prairie, are you-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" She screamed. Cerveau froze in place. His mind took a moment to register what was said, and after the brief shock passed, he let out a disappointed sigh. The engineer stepped away from the locked door and headed out into the hall. If Prairie was not going to be a leader, then he'll have to do her job for her.

* * *

Harpuia quickly sidestepped out of the line of fire and boosted forward, flying past the three energy bullets. Another volley followed but again he sidestepped away. Once the turret gun recalibrated itself, he dashed forward and straightened his left arm. A silent slice cut through the weapon, and immediately afterward, the gun fell off its mount and exploded with a crash. With the threat taken care of, the guardian quickly ran into the next hallway, his boots making loud 'clinks' over the dusty tiled floor as he hurried on toward the control room. Apparently, despite the lab's dilapidated and derelict state, its defense system was still in good condition. The past few minutes had been like running through a giant obstacle course, filled with traps and defenses designed to immediately destroy most mechaniloids and reploids. With the amount of defense mechs and traps the facility had, almost anyone could've been slaughtered on sight!

The sage quickly sprinted down the empty hallway, keeping his eyes and ears alert for any disturbance as his hands tightened around his blades, the weapons dragging behind him. He was in the middle of the hallway when he began to notice something peculiar about the walls. On some of the tiles, he could see his own reflection, almost like a mirror. They were spaced out in a strange pattern with one side incongruent to the other. Harpuia continued to run, but when he looked straight ahead, he saw two guns appear out of hidden panels. Twin beams of red fired down the hall, both of which Harpuia dodged easily.

However, realization quickly struck him. He stopped and looked behind him and sure enough, the lasers were reflectively off the reflective panels. They twisted and careened down the halls closer and closer toward the sage's position, constantly crossing each other and leaving numerous small spaces. At the rate they were going, even if he had his jets active, Harpuia would easily be sliced apart. He watched the lasers close in and just as they bounced off another mirror, he jumped straight into the air. The jets activated in his boots and Harpuia hovered above the room, the lasers continuing to cross each other back to the front. His hand pushed against the low ceiling while his feet barely hovered above the cross point of the lasers. There was barely any room to move, with the lines having moved horizontally and vertically to create a 'box' around Harpuia. If he had stayed on the ground, even if he had kneeled down or got on his stomach, the sage would have suffered tremendous damage from the lasers. They easily covered the entire floor so that if he had been standing within two feet of where he was now, the lasers would have cut him in three different places.

The lines slowly dissipated away and Harpuia quickly dropped to the floor. He hopped into the air and his jets bolstered him forward, shooting him at an alarming speed toward the end of the hall. The guns readjusted to a new set of mirrors and once again, fired the lasers. Now they bounced off the mirrors toward the sage, moving in disorienting directions and constantly reflecting across the halls. "Shit…" The lines crossed just in front of Harpuia and he quickly dropped. He flew underneath a tight space and swiftly pulled up onto his feet. With the extra momentum, Harpuia was forced to take a step forward, stumbling directly for several small spaces, one barely large enough for him to fit through. "Haaa!" The sage used the additional momentum and jumped through the tiny opening, his boots barely missing the red beams. He executed a short shock-absorbing roll and stopped himself just before another intersection, his face just in front of the hazardous lines.

The sage glanced back and sure enough, the lasers were still reflecting off the mirrors. They approached the last two panels and with a loud 'bing', they started to reflect back down the hall. The red beams of energy constantly crisscrossed across the room, leaving even smaller spaces than before. Anything that was caught between them would surely be shredded instantly, no matter where they stood or how they stood. Harpuia grunted. He got onto his feet and made his way forward, slowly closing the distance to safety. His blades deactivated and he holstered them on his back as he continued to make his way through the spaces, jumping, rolling and sidestepping away from the dangerous lines. The reflective 'bings' slowly grew louder and louder, swiftly closing in on the green guardian.

He continued to make his way through the dangerous maze, ducking and crawling as the lasers swiftly closed in. Almost there, just got to jump through a space and fly above the last line. He quickly got onto his feet and swiftly ran, barely dodging another intersection from the pursuing beams. His body straightened as he flew through the air, jumping perfectly through the narrow space without touching the lines. He rolled to absorb the shock and jumped up, activating his jets to push him toward the low ceiling. The wings of the helmet skidded against the metal as Harpuia bolstered forward toward the final obstacle. The only way to get through the last grid was the space just below the ceiling. It was the only one that was large enough for him to safely fly through. He pushed forward as the lasers reflected toward the ceiling, barely missing his boot as the green sage shot through the air. A loud screech echoed through the hall, the wings on his helmet sending sparks flying due to friction. Harpuia focused his eyes on the gap, the distance swiftly closing. 1…2…NOW! He lowered slightly and turned his body, flying sideways through the space and coasting toward the opposite wall.

"Unngh!" He slammed into safety and quickly slid down the wall, keeping his feet to the tiles to slow his descent. Then, once he was in range, he stomped on both guns, knocking them off their mounts and disabling the laser grids. With the guns no longer focusing on a mirror, the lines quickly disappeared, even the ones that had been pursuing Harpuia down the hall. The weapons clattered and rolled to a stop, both aiming across the floor to opaque tiles, rendering them ineffective. As the lasers continued to fire into the walls, Harpuia sighed and landed shakily on the floor. The impact to the wall was powerful and it forced him an excruciating headache, all due to the high speed collision. He rarely ever had to burst forward a short distance at such a high velocity, and the strike to the wall was enough to cause some damage to his body. The sage's hand gently massaged his temples while another ran over his wings on his helmet, feeling the smooth, 'sharpened' metal above his head. The wings must have darkened with the speed he was moving…in fact it's a surprise that they didn't just break off his helmet with all the pressure he was applying.

Harpuia groaned and looked to the side. On his right, there was a single door with heavy locks in place, both the shape of copper colored octagons. They formed a circular imprint at the middle of the large door where the grooves perfectly set in place, keeping a secure hold on the door and making it almost impervious to conventional attack. "That must lead to the control room…" Harpuia stated to himself, realizing the door had DRLs (Dual Reinforced Locks) attached. The octagonal slabs could easily withstand even the harshest attacks by enemies and thus were only used to protect the most vital and critical of rooms in facilities and compounds. Bills had been passed before to issue the DRLs to be used for more doors to facilitate higher security, but due to high costs in creating the locks themselves, it was easily declined by the legislation and of course, Master X and Master Harpuia. Besides, while it served as a 'final defense' against an enemy raid, mavericks rarely even got to this point due to first class security systems and the well-trained soldiers of Neo Arcadia. True, Zero was an exception, but he was a rare case.

The sage slowly walked over and placed his hand on the circular imprint. A quiet beep sounded and in moments, the locks twisted in a circular motion. Air hissed out as they released from each other, retreating to opposite ends of the door while it revealed a second hallway. Upon stepping foot inside, Harpuia's eyes widened. Just as the door behind him closed shut, he noticed a deceased body out of the corner of his eye, resting against the wall just before the closed door. The familiar green and white uniform was present on the soldier…This must be Marcus. Harpuia kneeled in front of him and inspected the body, his eyes running over the numerous wounds and punctures. Several slice marks were present, but there were more holes through his body than he could count. Everywhere, tiny holes were visible that had evidently cut cleanly through his body, each puncture having a match with another through the back of his legs, arms, or chest. Only a laser could clearly make these wounds, and it was obvious where he could've received them, but something didn't make sense. Those lasers were powerful enough to even destroy the green sage, so if his body was found here, then that must mean he made it past the laser grid. However, if this was true…then what killed Marcus?

"No! Get away from me!" Harpuia quickly turned to the sound of the voice. It came from the next room, the control room.

A feminine voice giggled as the man's scream entered the air. "I'm sure you know what I'm here for. Give it to me now and I'll let you live."

The sage grunted and swiftly ran to the end of the hall. It was a hostage situation! He placed his hand on the second set of DRLs and quickly stepped inside, his blades at the ready.

"Now then, where is it? Where is my data?" The voice came from a large, red-armored ant reploid. Her big blue compound eyes stared down at the male human, who held his broken arm in pain while he kept his back to the wall.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" He shouted. "I only came here to get away from you!"

"Don't lie to me." The ant said lowly, kneeling on its four legs before the injured human. Her two antennas glowed brightly, the ends holding round orbs of green light. "I know you have that data I want. Give it to me."

"I don't have it! I don't know what you're talking about!" He spat, cowering in fear of the glowing antennas. The ant leaned closer, her appendages nearly touching the man, causing him to close his eyes and move his face to the side. "P-Please! D-Don't hurt me!"

Suddenly, a loud slice noise entered the air. Before the large reploid could comprehend it, she felt a painful hit to her abdomen. "Unnngh!" Her antennae ceased the glow and she turned her head, spotting a green reploid running toward her with two pink blades in his hands.

"Stop!" He commanded. The sage stopped several feet away from the ant reploid as she turned around to face him, aggravated by the intrusion. Her two compound eyes stared down at the green, human-shaped reploid as her legs straightened, showing that she stood taller than him by about a foot.

"Hmmph! How dare you…" She swung her arm and moved her mandibles. "Just who do you think you are? Attacking me for no reason?"

Harpuia's face remained unmoving. "I could ask you the same question. What right do you have to threaten that man over there?"

"It is none of your concern. I suggest you go back out those doors while I finish up business with this human here. I'll take care of you later."

The sage paused. "…Do you know who I am?" As the two stared each other down, the injured man opened his eyes. He saw his opportunity, and quickly got onto his feet and ran to the door next to him. The door slowly opened and the man entered the next room, shutting the door behind him and locking it in place. He was safe, temporarily.

The ant looked back with a huff. "So he thinks he can hide huh?" She turned her attention back to the green reploid, not at all minding who he was. "I don't care who you think are Greenboy, but that human thinks he can run off with my treasure!"

Harpuia remained silent, hiding his shock in seeing her defiance. "…"

"I am Elizaeus Treasant," The ant proclaimed proudly "and I'll have you know, NO ONE STEALS TREASURE FROM ME!" She moved two of her legs back and lowered her body slightly, going into a sort of fighting position.

"Once I'm finished with you, I'll rip apart the fool and take back what he stole from me!"

Harpuia looked at her coldly, his eyes bearing a strong warning. "I'm warning you Ms. Treasant. Cease and desist or I will retire you."

"Ha! Don't act high and mighty on me Greenboy! If you plan to get in my way, I promise you, I will rip you to shreds!"

Harpuia scoffed. It looks like Treasant wasn't going to back down any time soon. He activated his blades and stood at the ready.

_**WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!**_

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Ha ha ha! Another cliffhanger! Yup, boss fight for the next chapter!

Anyway, please R+R! Thank you for reading!


	7. Chapter 6: Imminent Threats

Hey guys, I'm really sorry for making you wait on this chapter, but here it is! I had originally intended this to be longer, especially with Harpuia and Cerveau's follow-up conversation, but since I'm not great with the dialogue at this moment, I sufficed with a foreshadowing element.

I hope you guys like the fight scene too. It's not sophisticated or long, but hey, some bosses aren't that tough to begin with!

Anyway, enjoy you guys!

Also, congrats to those who spot the Street Fighter (obvious) and Resident Evil 4 (somewhat less obvious) references!

* * *

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Megaman franchise. They are copyright Capcom.**_

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**Chapter 6: Imminent Threats**

Harpuia quickly took the initiative, boosting forward and closing the gap between him and his opponent. He swung his left blade horizontally and followed with a vertical slice from his right, the attack connecting with the maverick's arm. Treasant grunted as she felt the first blade cut over her arm, taking a small gash on her armor while she jumped away from the second attack. Upon landing, she crunched her mandibles together, causing a large hole to open between them. A glint of light shined off of the sharp point concealed inside, the drill spinning out of control and emitting a loud grinding whir.

"Take this!" With a thrust of her head, Treasant sent the drill flying, the large grooved cone spinning dangerously fast toward her opponent. With little distance to cover, the momentum was more than enough to deliver a fatal blow to the guardian, but just before it could pierce through his head, Harpuia ducked. In a second, a loud grinding cacophony assaulted his ears as the drill dug into the opposite wall; the weapon sending sparks flying as it quickly came to a stop. "Ha!" Treasant jumped into the air. Another drill came between her mandibles but this time, she crunched onto the object as it spun against her pincers. "Hyah!" In the blink of an eye, her head thrust forward and her 'teeth' released the projectile, sending it flying at an angle.

"Damn," Harpuia pushed off his feet and jumped just as the drill embedded into the floor. He hovered above the projectile as it dug into the ground, showering the floor with sparks and burnt metal. He looked up and noticed the ant had reached the height of her jump, a perfect opportunity. In the blink of an eye, he shot forward. "Haaa!" He let loose a barrage with his blades, each strike leaving a streak of fading pink light. The assault continued as Harpuia hovered before her, his arms moving swiftly yet gracefully against the maverick. After the fourth strike landed, his feet returned to the ground and his blade orientation changed. The right sword swung 180 degrees in his hand and his arm thrust back.

"KAZE SHORYUKEN!" His feet launched him forward and his right blade led the attack, the weapon making a faded pink arc as it cut through the maverick's armor. The arm swung in a large, spiraling uppercut, the gash making a large slant to the left across Treasant's chest and thorax. It lasted only a brief moment, the sword just barely missing the side of the maverick's head, but by the time he finished, Treasant was in critical condition. Harpuia's graceful landing contrasted with Treasant's horrible 'CLUNK', the ant having slammed into the ground on her back. Even though she stood defiantly against a guardian, the ant reploid was not built for combat. Her body was made specifically for drilling into the ground, her body a telltale sign that the reploid used to work as a miner. The guardian looked down at her as she quickly got back onto her feet, her arrogant scowl turning into one of rage. "I will give you one last chance." Harpuia started. "Cease and desist and I will spare your life."

"Ha, you wish!" The maverick jumped back from him, her antennas glowing an eerie green. Harpuia noticed that they quickly focused on his position, the antennas steadily growing brighter. He switched the orientation of his right blade and gripped his weapons tightly, easily discerning what was to come.

"This is your last warning Ms. Treasant." Harpuia stated. "If you will not disarm, then I WILL terminate you."

"Yeah right." Treasant stepped forward, causing Harpuia to bend his knees in anticipation. "I don't care who you think you are. You interrupted my search for treasure, and I can't let that go so easily."

Harpuia grunted. "What makes you think that I'm after something valuable? I'm only here because you're holding someone hostage!"

"So, then you are after my treasure." Treasant said smugly.

"What?" His words were cut off as the lasers streamed out of Treasant's antennas, the thin green lines burning their way through the air. Harpuia quickly jumped out of the way but easily noticed the lines advancing toward him over the steel floor. He jumped into the air just before the lasers reached his feet, and unleashed a sonic boom, sending a pink crescent of energy with a swing of his blade. The crescent figure connected with Treasant's body, wrapping around her upon contact and disappearing with a flash.

"Ungh!" Treasant groaned, her head tilted to the side due to the attack. The lasers briefly stopped, but the antennas began to glow green again. "Ha…Ha ha ha…Fine…" She readjusted her vision and focused on the green reploid, the glow intensifying. "BRING IT ON, GREENBOY!" Another drill crunched under her mandibles and with a thrust of her head, she sent it flying. Harpuia easily dodged the attack and burst forward, his jets propelling him toward Treasant at incredible speed. At that moment, Treasant reactivated her laser beams, the antennas shooting their green lines once more. She attempted to pin him from two directions but the guardian was too fast. With each movement, Harpuia rolled to the side, ascended, descended, or simply titled his body. No matter how unpredictable, he always managed to dodge them, all while swiftly gaining on Treasant. "Grrr…." The maverick crunched her mandibles and let loose another drill, which again, was easily evaded. Her lasers moved more frantically and she began to launch the drills at a swifter rate, some just barely missing her target. "Damn it! DIE!"

Harpuia dodged an intersection and accelerated, covering the final span in the blink of an eye. "Hyaaaaaaa…!" He crossed his arms just before the maverick, barely hearing her gasp. "HA!"

_SLICE_

He executed a flip in midair and pushed off the wall with his feet, flying back toward Treasant.

_SLICE_

His wings disengaged and he gracefully set foot on the floor. The blades were set on the side while Harpuia stood on one knee, his back to the maverick. The dull pink light was still visible from his sudden attack, making a faded figure eight with Treasant at its intersection. She stood stiff, her entire body unable to register what had happened. It was too fast, too fast for her to see. Her system didn't register the fatal attack, and right now, she was furiously wondering why she felt an itch on her chest, thorax, and head. Then, she felt it…the clean, smooth groves running over her body.

"W…What?" Treasant spoke with panic. Her body began to flash as liquids burst from her body. She realized who was before her, but what had happened…What was she doing?! "M-Master Harpuia?! What's going on?! W-Where am I?! What am I doing here?! AAAAAAAAAAAH!" The flashing reached an alarming frequency, and soon, her entire body became engulfed in a white light.

_**BRING BRING BRIIIING…SHEEEEEEW…**_

The bright flash slowly died away, leaving Harpuia alone in the large room. Treasant's parts scattered across the floor, the point of explosion being another but a big black blot on the metal floor. The silent hum of the computer to the left was all that filled the room, with nothing making a sound save for Harpuia's breathing. The guardian slowly got to his feet and sheathed his blades. With the threat out of the way, he can rescue the hostage. He strode toward the door on the other side of the room and entered the next room, greeted by the cowering man on the ground. "Aah!" The man moved away from the guardian pathetically, his eyes filled with fear as his legs pushed across the ground. "G-Get away from me!"

"It's alright sir, I'm here to rescue you."

"N-No! Get away!" He realized he reached a corner. He cradled his broken arm and stared at the reploid fearfully, afraid for the worst after that battle outside.

Harpuia sighed and slowly approached him. "Calm down, everything will be fine." He started. "I'm Master Harpuia, I came to rescue you sir."

"What?" His eyes lit up upon hearing the name. Was this really… "M…Master Harpuia?" The guardian nodded, offering the human a hand. The man hesitated for a moment, then gripped it and was hoisted onto his feet, his disheveled black locks moving about his forehead. "I…I'm sorry for doubting you earlier." He stated.

"It's understandable, Mr…" Harpuia trailed off.

"Oh, Bert" The man finished, his peculiarly shaped helmet moving with his head. "My name's Bert."

The guardian nodded. "Well, Mr. Bert. I'm glad to see that you are alright. There'll be a medical staff waiting for you back on the Guardian Airship. They should be able to fix up your arm quickly."

Bert nodded, attempting a smile. "T-Thank you, Master Harpuia." He said, still quivering from the shock earlier.

_**MISSION COMPLETE. **_

* * *

"Transferring in 3…2…" Rouge's voice boomed through the PA as Cerveau, Muguet, and a medical team waited in the transerver room. A loud whir entered the room as Harpuia and Bert transferred onto the pad, the man's good arm slung over the guardian's shoulder.

"You must be Bert." Muguet stated, walking up to him. Before he could give an affirmative answer, the nurse broke in once more. "Don't worry, we'll fix up that arm of yours in no time." She turned her attention to the Guardian medics waiting with the stretcher. "Don't just stand there now, come on!" They helped Bert onto the stretcher before heading off into the medical bay, the device hovering several feet above the ground. The door closed behind them as they made a turn for the elevator, leaving Harpuia and Cerveau alone in the transerver room.

"I apologize for the delay. We had a problem transferring back from the lab." The guardian started. Bert had entered the facility via transerver in another room, but while there, he attracted the presence of the maverick Elizaeus Treasant. In a panic, he activated the security system of the facility in an attempt to stop her, which at the same time, triggered the distress beacon. Unfortunately, it had also deactivated the transerver with the security lockdown. The two hadn't realized this until after they found the transerver, the human for one surprised to see it no longer operational. Of course, it only took Harpuia's access code to disengage the defenses, thus reactivating the transerver and allowing them to transfer back to the Guardian airship.

Cerveau nodded. "I know. Nevertheless, Master Harpuia," he gave a small, curt bow. "Thank you for helping us. I understand you have a busy schedule, so thank you for helping us in our mistake."

"It's alright. I'm just glad that no one was hurt." Harpuia let out a sigh. "The maverick was about to kill him when I got there. If I hadn't intervened at the right time, all I would've brought back was a corpse."

The engineer only remained silent, contemplating for a moment. "Master Harpuia, could I speak with you in private, please?"

"Certainly." The two filed out of the transerver room and walked down the corridor to the engineering lab, the room adjacent to the Commander's Quarters. Upon walking in, Cerveau motioned him toward an empty table in the middle of the well-kept lab, the desks and counters clean of miscellaneous tools and the equipment neatly organized in drawers and shelves. Harpuia walked over and took his seat on the left side of the table, Cerveau sitting in the right.

The engineer crossed his palms and sighed. "Sir, I've spoke with the survivor you transferred back. He said that his unit was attacked by the mechs as they went on the investigation mission."

The guardian nodded. "I'm aware, Cerveau. I'll speak with my Head of Defense on this matter. If those golems could easily go rogue even with the IFF beacons,"

"Golems?" Cerveau broke in.

"The golems that were sent had gone maverick when I arrived. I assume they're what retired your forces and the majority of my own-"

"Master Harpuia, he says that all the mechs attacked them. Every one of them, pantheons, sentries, the golems, all of them attacked them as if they were enemies."

"What?" He turned with surprise at the engineer. "Are you sure the IFF beacons were functioning correctly?"

"I inspected them myself yesterday; there were no problems whatsoever. No defects were detected on any of the beacons."

"I see." Harpuia thought quietly, curious as to the cause of this. "Are you sure of this?"

The old reploid pulled out a projector from his pocket. He placed it on the table and tapped the blue button, activating the device. "This is the data we managed to recover from the survivor you sent back." Static broke through the hologram before an image became visible. The display was fuzzy, some details were blurred, but Harpuia could easily make out the cavern walls. Footsteps echoed out of the device as the image jumped up and down, simulating a walking motion from the soldier, Ethan.

* * *

"_Sir, I think I see them up ahead." _The image turned to the left, spotting two Guardian soldiers, one pointing down the corridor while the other leaned forward, looking in the same direction. The second soldier gave a nod.

"_Okay, let's regroup." _He raised his wrist to his mouth, a quiet beep sounding from the comm. device. "_Beta, we are going to rendezvous with the rescue team, are you following the same route?"_

"_Yes Alpha, copy that."_

The same man tapped his comm. device. "_Commander this is Beta team leader, we have located the rescue team. We will be proceeding with the mission no-" _Suddenly, there was gunfire. As the screams of fellow soldiers pierced through the speakers, the green image turned quickly to the right, spotting three men fall to the ground. _"What the?!"_ The words were barely heard over Ethan's breathing, the soldier now beginning to panic. The barrel of his rifle was now visible in the image, the butt and grip obviously held tightly in his tense hands.

"_Sir, they're attacking us!" _

"_Why?!"_

Laser rounds and sentry bots came into view, the streams of light zipping by off screen from numerous points. The flying mechs zoomed in with little hindrance, the soldiers having a difficult time shooting down the pests. "Aaugh!" Ethan screamed as he took a hit, the screen briefly emitting static. "Ugggh!" A second sentry bot slammed into him, causing the view to shake horribly and look down at the floor. Then, a loud, whirring sound of energy came through the speaker. In moments, the view changed to up front, and in the distance, behind what looked to be several pantheons, was a golem. The laser beam was coming in close, and fast. "Shit!" The view changed to a large rock as the flashes of light covered the top part of the screen. The loud whining sound was at its loudest now, but it swiftly diminished. The light disappeared off to the right of the screen, and after a second, the viewpoint ascended to show the golems and advancing pantheons once more.

"_Damn it, return fire! Return fire!" _With those last words, the view showed Ethan's hands cocking his rifle, then shifting back to the front. Sounds of gunshots and more screams were heard before the image finally faded away.

_**DATA CORRUPTION…DATA CORRUPTION…**_

* * *

The projector deactivated and lay dormant on the table, prompting Cerveau to pick it up. "That was all the data I could retrieve." 

Harpuia sighed, placing his head in his right hand, his damaged, smoothed helmet wings pointing upward. "…Thank you for showing me this, Cerveau." He groaned.

"Master Harpuia," The engineer pocketed the device. "This isn't the first time this has happened, has it?"

"…It's the first of this magnitude, but otherwise, no."

"Then sir,"

"I know what you're getting at, Cerveau." Harpuia interrupted. "But still…"

* * *

As the meeting continued, a small hemispherical device sat on the doorpost, easily picking up the noise from the lab.

And from the room next door, Prairie listened intently, headphones connected to her computer.

Over the course of the meeting, her face changed from one of determination, to one of shock and anger.

* * *

Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter. I apologize for the lack of some things, but I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless . 

Next time, we enter Ragnarok's 20th Anniversary, the 0th Day. On a day of celebration and remembrance of lost heroes, a terrorist attack on Memorial Square causes chaos and panic amongst the citizens, civilians, and soldiers. As lives are quickly lost, the Guardians and N.A.S.F (Neo Arcadia Security Force) struggle to evacuate the citizens from the hallowed grounds.

As the hallowed memorial grounds are razed by mavericks, Prairie encounters someone she thought has long been dead…However, her eyes do not hold relief…they hold pure terror.

Next time!

_**Mega Man Harpuia:**_

_**CHAPTER 7: The 0**__**th**__** Day Attack.**_


	8. Chapter 7: The 0th Day Reflection

First off, I'd like to thank all those people who are reading my fic. It's been a while since I felt this involved with a story, and I really wish to close this one, especially since it's a storyline I particularly like. The last attempts to make 'epics' failed pretty badly, but this one I have very strong optimism for…When this WILL finish though, I cannot say unfortunately --;

Second off, I apologize for 'lying' to you guys. This is not the terrorist attack on the 0th Day, it's the events preceding it. Most of it is character development is conversation, but I hope you guys like it!

Anyway, that's it for now. Enjoy reading you guys!

_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own the Megaman series or the characters…They are copyright Capcom and owned by them too.

* * *

**Chapter 7: The 0****th**** Day Reflection**

The gathering crowd was silenced as Harpuia walked onto the platform, standing before the metal podium. Holographic microphones and hovering cameras watched him as he fixed his formal robes, his brown hair waving with his head movements. He grasped the sides of the podium and stared out into the crowd, spotting many familiar faces. Defense administrators, department heads, city volunteer forces, Guardians' soldiers, and of course, many residents of the city. About two rows from the front were Cerveau and Prairie, the two standing alongside numerous Guardians forces.

All was silent, the whispers and murmurs hushed on the memorial grounds. Only the sound of the fountain was present in the veil of silence.

Harpuia cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"_Citizens of Neo Arcadia, today is once again, the 0__th__ Day. It was this day twenty years ago that our world was in danger of extermination, and it was this day that Neo Arcadia was destroyed by Ragnarok. Hundreds of lives were lost in the blink of an eye when Ragnarok fired upon our city. Men, women, children, humans and reploids, their lives were taken in a single flash of light. Despite the efforts of the Resistance, we have not only suffered for the loss of the citizens, but the loss of our city as well to the dictator Dr. Weil. _

_However, where there was loss, there was also hope. As we reflect on the tragedy, let us remember why this is the 0__th__ Day. It is the day that Zero, the Legendary Reploid, had saved us all. His valiant sacrifice had not only spared us our lives, it also rekindled our hope. Although he had fought alongside the Resistance and came into conflict with Neo Arcadia, his final stand is what granted us our independence from Weil's oppression and fear. Therefore, I close with this statement._

_Citizens of Neo Arcadia, as we celebrate the day of independence and hope, remember who it was that has granted you this. It was by the sacrifice of a single warrior that we are still here today, and it is him we must thank that our world still stands. In his honor, let us remain hopeful of our future as Neo Arcadia continues to grow and flourish. Let us hold onto our hope and optimism, for it is what Zero has granted us in his final stand against Weil._

_Thank you."_

A quiet applause echoed through the crowd. The sitting attendees stood up with respect as the crowd continued to clap, even as Harpuia left the podium and off the platform. The applause gradually faded into conversation, the crowd dispersing about the large Memorial Square. Memorial Square was built north of the Capital, dedicated to all those who lost their lives in the many wars that plagued both Neo Arcadia and the Resistance. Statues, memorials, gardens, fountains, and temples were spread over the large district, all of them having some dedication to either a significant figure or tragic event.

"Cerveau," Prairie started. "I'll be at the Garden of Hope."

"Okay." He watched her leave before returning his attention to the front. Harpuia remained standing before the Ragnarok Memorial, staring at the massive, jagged hemispherical orb hanging above him. To his left was a bronze statue of the Legendary Reploid, brandishing his trademark Z-saber as his sculpted eyes gazed at the orbiting threat. Surrounding him were numerous debris, all a symbol of the destruction and despair that plagued the world at the time. Alongside it, there were approximately ten statues, humans and reploids cowering in fear at the looming threat. That day…The entire world was helpless. Everyone felt a cold fear running through their veins, resting their dwindling hopes on a single reploid. Zero alone stood tall with dignity against Ragnarok, the only one who would defend the world from its utter destruction.

Cerveau slowly walked toward Harpuia, his boots making a 'CLOP' with each step on the polished marble. He came on the guardian's left side, looking up at the large representation of Ragnarok. "Excellent speech, Master Harpuia." He stated.

Harpuia let out a scoff. "You should have it memorized by now. It has barely changed since the first time I gave it."

"Even so, the people are moved by it."

The guardian scoffed again, smirking. "They were just being respectful." He paused. "This is a holiday, Cerveau. All people care about is that it's the start of the Yggdrasil weekend."

Cerveau chuckled. "You make it sound as if everyone should be somber, that we should feel the pain of those who suffered twenty years ago…"

"Perhaps I am…" Harpuia responded. Despite the jest, it was true in a way.

Cerveau took a step forward. "Holidays are made for remembering, but that doesn't mean our mood should reflect the time the event occurred. After all, it means a break from daily routine, and with the rigor that has fallen on the world today, it's an excellent opportunity to spend time with friends and family."

There was a brief pause before Harpuia glanced at the engineer. He smirked. "You have a gift for overcomplicating the obvious Cerveau."

The engineer again chuckled. "Thank you, Harpuia." A brief pause came between the two before Cerveau reentered conversation. "Prairie has all the soldiers on patrol in Neo Arcadia. There are a few squads here and there, but for the most part, the brunt of the force is on patrol here in Memorial Square."

"Good." Harpuia responded. "We had to cut down about a third of the intended patrols after we ran another scan of the program, so I appreciate your effort."

"It's all Commander Prairie, sir. She was the one who issued the order."

"Yes, I'm sure." Harpuia replied quietly, giving the hint that he was trailing off. He looked back at the large Ragnarok model, hovering ominously above the ground.

Cerveau easily caught the tone. "Master Harpuia,"

"Please, don't call me that…I've already told you before Cerveau."

"…Harpuia, you are aware that…if I…"

"I will still abide by my decision, Cerveau…" He paused. "I gave her two years to prove herself, but she hasn't shown me anything. Even before I had given her back the Guardians' auxiliary duties-"

"She was still breaking in, Harpuia." Cerveau interrupted.

"It doesn't matter." Harpuia sighed. "I had revoked those duties for that reason when she first became Commander." He shook his head. "But even so, she has proven me nothing but her inability to lead Ciel's faction. I know how much she wants to follow in her footsteps, but I'm afraid she'll bring more harm than good if she keeps her position."

"…I see." Cerveau started. "…Have you decided when?"

"No. I'll inform you when I'm planning to resign her, until then Cerveau; keep what I said in mind."

"…Yes Harpuia." Upon finishing, Harpuia turned away from the memorial and walked back onto the Square. As Cerveau saw him head toward the large temple standing atop the lone hill, he sighed. "Ciel…"

* * *

_(2 years ago)_

_Cerveau and Harpuia turned their heads upon hearing the door open, the two spotting Ciel walking over the threshold. The beautiful woman sighed and walked toward them, her blonde ponytail moving to and fro with each step forward. Her gloved hands were closed in small fists as Ciel closed her eyes and sighed briefly, the pink hat moving off center with the exhale._

_Ciel stopped before the two, the shorter woman exchanging glances with the male reploids. "It's almost time for me to head out." She stated. _

_"We know." Cerveau replied. "Ciel…are you sure you still want to do this?"_

_"Yes." She answered with determination. "The signal I've received is unlike any I've ever seen, it deserves to be investigated."_

_"Ciel," Harpuia stepped in. "We received the same signal as well. Area-F is still outside of Neo Arcadia security, it's dan-" _

_"I'm aware of the risks, Harpuia." Ciel interrupted. "I know what dangers are in Area-F, but I still want to look into it on my own." She paused. "The signal…It seems familiar to…"_

_"…Zero's dead, Ciel." Harpuia stated. "His body burned up upon atmospheric entry, along with Weil and Ragnarok. We all know this and have accepted this." The guardian sighed. "I know how hard you hold onto your beliefs, but you have to accept it. The evidence amongst the pieces traced several essential parts to Zero's origins…That's more than enough to confirm that he did not survive."_

_"…"_

_Harpuia's voice lowered, attempting a more comforting tone. He understood how much the woman loved the reploid, how much she wanted to save him from his ultimate fate. Even now, after nearly twenty years, she still believed Zero roamed the Earth, perhaps in hiding. "If he was still alive, we would have seen a sign. We have neither seen nor heard from him since Amnesty Day, and at this point, if he was alive…I'm sure he'd know the war is over." The sage paused. "There's no need to fight anymore. He could have walked into Neo Arcadia at any time the past years and no one would stop him. Zero has no reason to be hiding from us."_

_Ciel remained silent, her head lowering to the floor, attempting to hold back tears. _

"_Ciel, we're only concerned for your safety. As Harpuia said, Neo Arcadia received the same signal, so they can investigate in your place. You don't have to do this…You don't have to risk your life for this signal." Cerveau said with concern. He refrained from speaking of Zero. What was said, was said, there was no need to repeat it._

_An uncomfortable silence hung in the room, the two men waiting for Ciel's action. Neither wanted her to leave to investigate, for her own sake. The areas outside Neo Arcadia, despite low maverick activity as of late, were still considered dangerous. As a human, Ciel was much more vulnerable out there than in the city, and even with the soldiers who volunteered to leave with her, it still wasn't much protection._

"_Ciel…"_

_"Ciel…"_

_"…Zero's still out there. I know he is…" She choked back a tear and pulled her head up, forcing a smile to her lips. "He just…He just needs to come at the right time…That's all." Her right hand came to her eye and wiped away the small droplet. "I'll be…" She cleared her throat. "I'll be gone for about two weeks as I stated before. Think what you will gentlemen, but I'll be leaving nonetheless." _

_"…" The two reploids remained silent, both concealing concern under their straight faces. _

_"Cerveau," She turned her eyes to the engineer, his eyes still covered by the visor. "Please, watch over Alouette for me, and take care of everyone on the ship."_

_"Yes Commander." He nodded._

_"…Master Harpuia," She turned to the green guardian, her eyes easily sensing his concern and doubt "…I"_

_"There's no need to say anything, Ms. Ciel." He nodded in understanding. "I understand."_

_"…Thank you, both of you." With that, Ciel gave one final goodbye before she walked back toward the door and exited the room. As the door closed behind her, Harpuia sighed._

_"…Even after all these years, Ciel still can't accept the truth, can she?"_

_"You can't blame her, Harpuia…" He let out a sigh. "Her love for him is what maintains her hope…"_

_"I know…" The guardian paused._

_"…I just wish it didn't blind her reason and judgment."_

* * *

Cerveau exhaled once the events finished playing through his mind. "…If you knew the turmoil your death would have caused, would you still have left us?" The engineer glanced at the Garden of Hope before he walked off toward another temple, the structure sporting grey statues of Resistance soldiers standing atop the roof. 

Ciel's silver eyes stared at the eastern sky, both hands over her chest as if she was praying. Her feet were bolted to a large stone platform in the middle of the garden, cut off from the pathways by the beautiful flowers surrounding her. Her sculpted eyes were filled with hope for the coming sunrise, to vanquish the darkness that plagued the land…at least, that's what it was to represent. Prairie stared vacantly at the statue before her, her mind occupied with thoughts from earlier. Her hat sat on the bench behind her as she put her head in her hands, her blonde bangs bouncing slightly with the additional pull of gravity.

"Sis…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

* * *

_(2 days ago)_

_(Click)_

_(Click click)_

_"Okay, there." The hand left the mouse and returned to the desk. Prairie leaned in and pressed the headphones into her ears, listening carefully. _

_"—found anything?" A male voice asked through the headphones. Prairie immediately recognized it to be Cerveau's, crystal clear from that bug. Looks like the listening bug still worked._

_"No, nothing." Another voice broke through the headphones. This one was at a bit of a higher pitch, Sage Harpuia's voice naturally. Instinctively, Prairie leaned forward. "The systems were in a lockdown state when I got there. Bert had accidentally tripped the security system to avoid Treasant."_

_"And by activating the lockdown, he had not only deactivated the transerver, but also dispatched a distress signal originating from that lab."_

_"Right." Harpuia replied. "However, that still doesn't answer what exactly sent that signal. With the computer system in a lockdown state, nothing was sent except that distress signal."_

_"Do you think there was another signal source?"_

_"…I'm not sure. If there was one, I would have detected it." There was a sigh. "Judging by what I saw, the computer is the only thing that's capable of relaying a signal. I'll send a team down there to see if they can track it…until then though, I'll need to substitute a large number of the NASF."_

_"You'll have to recall at least about half of the force right?"_

_There was a huff. "I never said that the security force was broken, did I?"_

_"But as you said, this wasn't the first incident that the security mechs went maverick."_

_"I know, but that doesn't mean that all of them have problems. As you know, all the pantheons are built from the same base. The only variations in the coding come with specific groups, with some of them being more similar to others."_

_"So then you're only going to recall and fix the forces that share ties with the rescue team." Cerveau easily concluded._

_There was a brief pause, possibly a nod. "Yes. Assuming I haven't faltered in the familiarization of this unit, it should be a relatively small number. However, we'll still need more patrols for the upcoming Yggdrasil Weekend."_

_As Prairie listened closely, Cerveau let out an affirmative grunt. "I'll inform Prairie after the meeting."_

_"Thank you. We'll need more reinforcements around Neo Arcadia for the Yggdrasil Weekend, especially after that maverick attack." _

_"Of course, Harpuia." Prairie nodded to herself, making a silent promise to uphold her duty._

_There was another pause along with the sound of footsteps. "…Since you have brought up Prairie, Cerveau, there is another matter I must speak to you about."_

_The Commander pressed her hands against the headphones, wanting to catch everything that is said._

_"What's that?"_

_"…Do you remember two years ago, when you were the primary candidate to be Commander of the Guardians?"_

_"Yes, what about it?"_

_"…I'm planning to reconsider your suggestion." Prairie's eyes widened._

_"…Are you saying…?"_

_"Yes, Cerveau." Harpuia sighed. "You've seen what progress Prairie has made with the Guardians. I wanted to believe you, I wanted to see her prove herself as a capable leader, but all I've seen for the past two years was incompetence."_

_As the two continued to converse, Prairie's expression changed. The look of shocking disbelief changed into that of anger, frustration, and sorrow. Cerveau tried to defend his decision of having her be Commander over him, but it wasn't changing Harpuia's mind. He decided to follow his suggestion two years ago, but now, all he believed was that it was a huge mistake._

_"Cerveau, you have to remember what our duty is." Harpuia stated. "We are here to defend Neo Arcadia and its citizens. In order to do that, we must make decisions that will best accomplish this goal. That was what you believed when you opted to be the next Commander after Ciel right?"_

_"…Yes Harpuia, but even so, I chose Prairie to take my place for a reason. She can be just as excellent as Ciel if you give her time. I know her better than anyone save for Ciel herself. She has that capability and can become a better leader than me if you give her more time."_

_There was a pause. Prairie leaned forward, struggling to control her tears from the hurtful words that were said by Harpuia. Finally, there was a sigh.__"…I wish I could believe that." The sound of footsteps echoed through the speaker. "That may be what you see Cerveau, but all I see is a little girl who calls herself an adult. I'm sorry, but she is an incompetent leader, and I don't intend to keep her in this position for much longer."_

_Shortly after those words were said, Prairie grabbed her headphones in anger and hurled them across the room. Her tears streamed down her face as the conversation continued softly from her computer, but it was quickly silenced by deactivating the bug. She struck her desk several times with her balled fist before she finally set her head on her arms and cried, letting the tears stain her sleeves. _

* * *

A small tear was quickly wiped away as Prairie took a sharp breath. The conversation still played through her head, having heard everything that was planned. The date was still undecided, and Cerveau hadn't told her when Harpuia would relinquish her of her position. For all she knew, that day would be soon…because knowing the guardian, he cared for the safety and prosperity of this damn city more than anything else. 

Prairie looked down at her closed fist, the hand having subconsciously closed in frustration. It wasn't fair…It wasn't fair at all…It didn't matter if Cerveau was going to be leader anyway, she should've been her mother's successor. It, it was just right. The daughter has to take over for what the mother left behind, so why did she have to give up what Ciel left to someone who wasn't even related to her? Even though she had no relation whatsoever to her, Ciel constantly told her she was like her own daughter, so that had to count for something!

It simply wasn't fair!

Her fist slammed into the bench, letting out a small echo as her eyes closed and her teeth clenched. The bitterness of her thoughts still resided, the girl believing she should remain her mother's successor. However, there was one problem she realized…She had to be stronger…stronger than she was now. If she wanted to prove that she could lead the Guardians, she needed to show she's stronger than before.

That shouldn't be too hard…right?

* * *

As the reploids and humans walked about Memorial Square, the pantheons and Guardian patrols continued their duties. They moved up and down the streets on foot, holding their rifles leisurely as they took in the sights. An occasional greeting was passed to them, sometimes starting with a pantheon's bow and an automatic 'Greetings, how are you today?', or a Guardian soldier's 'Hi, nice to meet you.' A handshake here or there, a bow, a general form of courtesy was present as well; however, neither of them noticed the lone bag sitting on one of the temple steps. 

And if they had been attentive, they would've heard the beeping noise from the bag, the beeping of a timer.

_5:03…  
5:02…  
5:01…  
5:00…_

* * *

Alright, hope you guys liked it! Please Read and Review with your feedback! 

Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 8: The 0th Day Attack

Hey all, sorry about the delay. I've been having some problems depicting the events of this next chapter, thus explaining the whole reason why it was delayed. I've had to rewrite this a few times, and well, now I'm a bit more satisfied with how this turned out in comparison to the other incarnations of this chapter.

Anyway, sorry about the delay guys. Hope you like this next chapter! Enjoy!

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this fic, they are copyright Capcom (I wish I did though)**_

* * *

**Chapter 8: The 0th Day Attack**

_20 years ago…_

_Zero dashed forward with both hands gripping his saber. Barely a second later, he stood behind his opponent, the reploid on one knee with the tip of his blade resting on the ground. Behind him, Omega stood stiff. His eyes widened with shock as a terrible pain ripped through his body. His breathing quivered, his hands shook, and slowly, his head pulled up. The violet blade in his hand clattered to the ground, the feeling in his right arm completely gone. His vision began to fade as he stared up at the ceiling, the glowing ball of light, the Mother Elf, hovering uselessly above him._

_Leviathan and Fefnir's expressions twisted into victorious smiles as they saw Omega's body flash. They were nearly killed by him once, and it was sweet revenge to see him finally die after their ordeal. True, they both wanted the final hit, but their chance at weakening him would suffice. After all, Zero deserved the final strike. It just made Omega's death all the more painful. Above them, Harpuia hovered in the air, his teeth gritting as Omega's body became a white glow. He held his blades ready in case Zero's final strike didn't do the job, but in his mind, he knew he had finally killed him. Omega…That monster caused unfathomable death and destruction. He started the Elf Wars, he took uncountable lives, he nearly destroyed the world…It was relieving to finally see him die._

_Omega's mouth stuttered as he felt his system overload. He fought to form his last words before it would finally crash._

_**"I…I AM THE MESSIAH! Hahahaha…aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAH!"**_

_**(BRING BRING BRING…SHEEEEEEW…)**_

_"Unggh!"_

_"Aaah!"_

_"Uggh!"_

_The explosion filled the room with a bright light, engulfing all within its luminous sphere._

* * *

Harpuia opened his eyes and raised his head. He stared up at the large statue of the former Master sitting atop a large throne that overlooked Memorial Square. The statue was just recently established as part of the X Temple, the worshipping and memorial grounds for the first Master, X. From the statue's viewpoint, it could easily see all of Memorial Square, its expression reflecting duty and hope. Harpuia's facial expression was no different, but he knew, that underneath the carved eyes were other emotions, sorrow and pain…just like the one he had felt for nearly twenty years. That day was the last time he saw his family. Fefnir and Leviathan, they had perished shortly afterward…and as of now, they are drifting in the limitless void of cyberspace, alongside Master X, Phantom, and possibly even Zero…if he wasn't deleted, that is…

The Second Master sighed, looking in the direction of the statue, his formal garments gently swaying with the wind. As he watched the people walk about amongst the peaceful grounds, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. Then, with an exhale, he turned back and entered the X Temple.

* * *

The old man leaned forward as he pushed his shopping cart forward. The unnecessarily small rubber wheels squeaked and squealed with each roll of the pavement sometimes just barely missing the toes of the man's boots. His tattered brown cloak covered the entirety of his body except for the orange tinted boots at his feet, the soles caked with mud and debris. Downcast, ruby red eyes spoke of great strife. Years of hardship, pain, and misery from youth, yet, there was also a yearning, a yearning for peace. Peace on Earth? Peace of Neo Arcadia? No, just peace, peace and quiet. Jack wasn't one to care about friendship, all he wanted was peace, and at his age and state of deep poverty, it was hard to come by.

A gloved hand rubbed through his rough beard, the scent of alcohol still on his breath. He wasn't drunk, at least, he didn't think he was, the last drink was only about, oh…he didn't remember. It's been a while since he could remember anything, and he didn't really care. They were all just bad memories, memories he wanted to be at peace from. Jack continued pushing the shopping cart past one temple, his eyes gazing at the steps. It was particularly empty today, but the first thing he noticed was that red backpack. The shopping cart stopped and the old man cautiously looked about. Were he any other citizen, he would be looking more frantically, but Jack was careful. He knew how to avoid attention, and how to gather it. The old man slowly scanned his surrounding, then, swiftly, yet deceivingly clumsily, climbed up the stairs.

There was a strange clock-like noise but he dissuaded it. He hastily took the bag and while glancing over his shoulder and to the sides, made his way back to the cart. He slowly began to push the cart as he pulled up the green blanket. With his right hand, he thrust the bag underneath the blanket, concealing it underneath the cloth. He swung his head about to make sure that no one was watching him, and for a moment, caught his gaze with a tall male reploid. Despite the anxiety, he kept it well concealed, and after returning his eyes to the front, slowly, almost casually, resumed his walk, the wheels squeaking once more.

_1:30…_

_1:29…_

_1:28…_

The male reploid watched carefully, his right hand eagerly squeezing the trigger device, almost playfully. The old man had taken the bag, making transportation much easier. The reploid's blonde ponytail swished just below his boots and he continued to watch, all the while moving his thumb tentatively over the red button. Although he was instructed to wait, he was getting rather impatient.

_(click)_

_0:20_

_0:19_

_0:18_

The reploid calmly walked down the steps toward the grass, reaching into his cloak in midstep. His eyes remained on the old thief as he continued to walk over the nearly empty steps, heading toward his unknown destination in Memorial Square.

_0:15…_

_0:14…_

_(BUMP)_

"Excus-HUH!" He grabbed the woman's arm in mid-apology. "Hey, what are you-" He turned his head and grinned psychotically, devil-like teeth bared and eyes slowly glowing red. In the blink of an eye, he pulled a white hilt and pressed it in an angle against her stomach. Only a moment passed for her to comprehend the situation, the look of utter fear bringing pure glee to the reploid.

_0:13…_

_0:12…_

"N…No…" A small utter left her lips.

_0:11…_

_0:10…_

_**0:09…**_

And with a simple force of will, the blade activated, its emerald green light plunging right through her frail body and out the other side. Screams erupted from the bystanders as blood sprayed out in fountains, the energy blade having cut through her major arteries and her heart.

_**0:08…**_

_**0:07…**_

_**0:06…**_

The blood...The screams…The horror of the situation…The expression of pure shock as life faded away…It was something he was all too familiar with…but the reploid never grew tired of it. However, time was of the essence. As he watched the woman's body begin to dangle limply on his blade, Omega pulled out the saber and kicked her lifeless body down the stairs. He watched as the people scattered from the cold corpse toppling down the stairs, finally falling still on the ground.

_**0:05…**_

_**0:04…**_

Panic was beginning to spread amongst the witnesses, but it was already too late. The last thing they will see…

will be a red blur and a green streak of light.

* * *

_**0:03...**_

_**0:02...**_

_**0:01...**_

_**KABOOOM!**_

* * *

_**(Static…Static…)**_

"_**This is Commander Prairie! There has been an explosion in the south end of Memorial Square! All Guardian units report there immediately!"**_

_**(Static…Static…)**_

_**Attention all personnel! The Memorial Square has fallen under attack! Repeat, Memorial Square has fallen under attack! All available pantheon units report and neutralize the threat immediately!**_

* * *

The Square was in chaos. Screams filled the air as civilians attempted to flee, gunshots rang out from armaments of the enemy mechaniloids, fires broke out in the blink of an eye all across the Square, and deafening thuds echoed across the Square as buildings and structures collapsed to the ground. Harpuia rushed out of the temple and skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs. The tall column of smoke in the distance was more than enough of an indicator of the explosion, alongside the many Guardian soldiers and pantheon patrols rushing to the south. However, just as he prepared to engage his battle armor, a two-tone ring entered his ear, another message from the operators at the Capital.

_**Attention all personnel! We have an update on the crisis! There are multiple outbreaks in Memorial Square! Repeat, there are multiple outbreaks in Memorial Square! All available personnel assist in evacuating the citizens!**_

The comm. line closed with a static beep. By now, the brunt of the Guardian forces here must be on their way to the south end of the Square, which would hinder response times to the north sector. Alongside that, Harpuia knew that the pantheon patrols were responding to their first order, so it could take at least a minute for them to respond to specific locations scattered across the Square.

If that was the case…

"…Looks like I'll have to work my way down." Harpuia engaged his battle armor and withdrew his twin swords. As he jumped off the top of the stairs toward the base, the pink energy blades activated, and upon setting foot at the bottom, the guardian rushed toward the first sign of the crisis, the first few galleons in sight.

_**MISSION START!**_

* * *

"Everybody, hurry up! We've got to get them out of there!" Prairie yelled into her comm. line before closing it. The explosion had abruptly shaken her out of her thoughts and before she knew it, she was sprinting toward the crisis scene, her pink hat clutched tightly in her right hand. The commander weaved past the fleeing civilians as she pressed onward, panting heavily and with little fear. Gunfire and explosions constantly rang out from her direction, and with each step forward they just grew louder and louder. Soon, in the distance, she could make out the guardian soldiers, firing at the enemy while taking cover behind various debris. The pantheons were there as well, all of them firing incessantly at the enemy.

One soldier ceased firing to reload, and at that moment, he noticed his superior. "Commander!" He shouted.

Prairie placed her hands on her knees and took several deep breaths. She obviously hadn't had much physical activity, but then again, it wasn't really necessary for her. "What's the" she coughed "situation…?"

"What?!" He shouted.

"What's the situation?"

"Ma'am I can't hear you!"

"WHAT'S THE SITUA-"

_**(KA-PEW!)**_

"Shit!" The soldier covered his head and placed his back closer to the damaged fountain. He could've sworn he heard a yelp before the commander ducked under beside him, but he dissuaded it. Even if he did hear it, it wasn't important. The soldier looked over and fired several volleys into the advancing galleon squadron, their shots and bombs still raining down upon the other guardian soldiers and pantheon mechs. They were still a far distance from them, but the pursuing fire behind them was enough of an indicator that they were swiftly advancing. He pulled back and took cover as more bullets struck the debris. "Commander! It's not safe here!"

"I KNOW! BUT WE HAVE TO EVACUATE THE CIVILIANS!"

(_**BANG BANG BANG!**_)

"We can't get to them! They're pinning us down and we can barely-"

(_**BOOM!**_)

Before either of them knew it, a loud, deafening boom hit their ears. The next thing Prairie felt was a second of weightlessness and then a harsh hit to her shoulders and chest. She rolled across the ground from the force of the explosion, her hat still clutched tightly in her damaged hand. Prairie coughed a few times before shaking her head, her ears ringing from that loud explosion. Fire was breaking out not far from her, and she could barely hear the gunfire and shouting of orders as the guardians and pantheons continued to fight against the galleons.

However, as her disoriented vision began to clear, Prairie saw someone appear from the fire. Someone…familiar…Her eyes squinted and as soon as she saw the triangular red helmet, her eyes widened.

It…It couldn't be…

"Zero?" She whispered. The figure continued to walk slowly toward the group, his right hand holding the Z-saber. His steps were monotonous, as if he didn't know what was going on around him. The gunfire and explosions continued but he paid no heed, merely letting them pass by as he continued to walk forward. Prairie pushed on her arms and slowly got back onto her feet. She wobbled slightly but regained her balance, and after a moment to shake her aching head, she gave her order. "Cease fire!" She shouted. "Everyone, stop firing!"

The rifle fire gradually died down as the guardians followed the order. By now, they could see the Legendary Reploid as well, ambling aimlessly toward them.

"No way…"

"Is that…"

"I thought he was…"

Meanwhile, the pantheons continued to fire, raining shells upon shells of ammunition on the Legendary Reploid. The rounds bounced off his armor and caused him to falter slightly with each step forward, all as the mechs barked their mechanical orders of 'Cease and Desist.' Then, the reploid stopped. Zero stood still with his head down, his green Z-saber still gripped tightly in his right hand. Time seemed to stand still as Zero took on the pantheon fire, but strangely, no galleons were attacking him.

"Hey, stop firing!" A soldier shouted.

"That's not an enemy! It's Zero!"

"Stop it, you idiots!"

Very few noticed when Zero lifted his head, and suddenly burst forward, his expression turning into a wicked grin.

_**"AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!"**_

A collected gasp and flinch ran through the reploids upon hearing that piercing scream. They turned their attention to one Guardian soldier, impaled through the stomach by a glowing green saber. Reploid blood dotted the ground as he breathed harshly, fighting the intense pain stemming from his midsection. In front of him was Zero, grasping the soldier's shoulder while holding the hilt of his Z-saber. His eyes displayed a maniacal, sadistic joy as he pushed the green blade further into the soldier's body. Behind the two, Prairie watched with horror, did he…did he just…

"Ha!" Zero kicked the soldier onto the ground as he withdrew his blade. His blood flowed out of the massive wound and formed a large pool around him, all as the last moments of his life faded away. All around the reploid, the Guardian soldiers murmured and cursed, the very image of Zero killing someone so coldly rooted in their minds. Prairie, on the other hand, was going through something far worse. It was impossible. This…This couldn't be Zero. Zero would never do something like that! Zero would never kill one of the Resistance! Her breathing suddenly increased as she saw the reploid's eyes turn toward her, the grin still plastered over his face.

No…He…He wouldn't…

The reploid slowly approached her, enjoying the look of fear in her eyes.

No…Zero…Zero, it's me! It's Alouette!

The words caught in her throat and her feet firmly planted themselves to the ground. Cold fear froze her in place as her breathing hastened again, almost to the point where she was hyperventilating. Zero still approached her, slowly, almost tauntingly, as he continued to watch her. Prairie couldn't hear any shouts or screams or anything from the other soldiers, her attention focused slowly on the approaching reploid, almost as if she was in a trance. As her mind continued to fight with denial, she suddenly heard that one word, the one word that could save her.

Run…

* * *

Well, that's that chapter. There is still a lot more coming, so hope you guys will keep reading!

Thank you for reading, and please leave comments!


	10. Chapter 9: The 0th Day Encounter

Whew, been almost a month since I updated this. I apologize for keeping you guys waiting, I hope you enjoy this chapter! There's more action in this one, but I'll bet you can't wait for the next chapter! I had originally intended this chapter to be longer (you can guess what the last portion of this chapter was going to be), but I felt this ending has more of an impact then including another battle scene.

Anyway, ENJOY!

* * *

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Megaman characters in this fic nor do I own the franchise. They are copyright of Capcom and I am not writing this to gain any monetary profit.  
**_

* * *

**Chapter 9: The 0****th**** Day Encounter**

Harpuia sidestepped a fire bomb and rushed forward, impaling the galleon with both blades. He sliced it down the middle and just before it exploded, he blasted into the air. The mechs fired incessantly but they lost track once their target summersaulted behind them. "Gotcha!" Upon finishing the maneuver, Harpuia burst forward and grabbed one of the soldiers. He held the galleon tightly as he flew high into the air, and with a quick 180 degree turn, Harpuia grabbed the mech's gun arm and threw the maverick back into the attacking squad. The ground shook and a cloud of dust and dirt formed, and with their vision clouded, the soldiers never realized that their target had dove back to the ground. Explosions and slices were suddenly imminent, and the mechs fired wildly all around them. Bullets whizzed by in all directions, but the mavericks didn't have a chance. With only a few streaks of pink, a cacophony of explosions sounded, and the gunfire abruptly ended.

The green guardian shot out of the dissipating cloud and rushed onward to the south, leaving behind the pile of scrap metal. However, only seconds after he destroyed that galleon squadron, he spotted another in the distance to his right. "Damn it…" He activated his jets and changed his flight course. What was going on? Fires were still breaking out, gunfire and explosions were not dying down, civilians were still running in chaos…Where's the backup? The Capital should have sent more pantheon squads by now. Not only that, what is Prairie doing? It doesn't take this long to call the Guardian HQ over. Last he checked, it was hovering near the Capital of Neo Arcadia…So where the hell was it?!

He pushed those thoughts away once he came in contact with the squadron, the mavericks now about halfway up the steps of the temple. Harpuia boosted forward and cut his way through four of the galleons, cleanly slicing them all into two pieces. The remaining soldiers turned to attack and quickly took aim, but their target was too fast. Before they could release a shot, Harpuia swiftly sliced through another pair, cutting them horizontally before the triggers could be pulled. He then boosted past the last pair, zipping past the crossfire and stopping just behind them. With incomprehensible speed, Harpuia flipped the blades in his hands and thrust both arms behind his back. The pink sabers easily impaled through the galleons' chests, the force so powerful that it temporarily disoriented them. Their weapons hung loosely in their hands as the guardian forcefully withdrew both blades, flipping them back into his traditional position. Two heavy thuds quickly followed, and with that, another galleon squad was routed. However, this was going way too slow. Besides the few pantheons and guardians who hadn't made it to the south, Harpuia was the only one who was taking care of the crisis situations! What's going on…Where is every-

"Harpuia!" He turned upon recognizing the voice, Cerveau's. The engineer stopped at the top of the stairs when an explosion suddenly rocked the floor. "Whoa!" He stopped to regain his balance, feet shifting about while particles of debris gently rained down from the roof above. The loud groaning sound didn't catch the reploid's attention, but suddenly, there was a loud collapsing boom. Cerveau instantly glanced up, eyes widening as he saw a large statue, designed to resemble a male Resistance soldier, fall directly toward him.

"Cerveau!" Harpuia bolstered forward with his jets. He quickly spanned the remaining half of the stairs and with another burst, slammed into the engineer. He wrapped his arms around his chest and hoisted him into the air, swiftly flying out of the growing shadow. Barely a second later, an earth-shattering shockwave rocked the temple, the statue's heel digging into the polished flooring. Its heavy stone body began to lean backward, directly toward the unsuspecting guardian.

Cerveau instinctively wrapped his arms around Harpuia's neck while he was airborne, but unlike his friend, he caught sight of the incoming statue. "Look out!"

His eyes widened upon glancing at the toppling statue. "Shit!" The back of the statue's head, it was falling toward him! He activated the thruster in his right boot and with barely a second to spare, Harpuia flew to the side, dodging the statue's fall. Another shockwave shook the temple, raising more dust and cracking the floor. The guardian slowly recalibrated himself while the echoing boom died down, the Resistance replica now lying on its back.

Cerveau sighed with relief, still holding onto Harpuia. "Thanks."

Harpuia nodded and gently hovered back onto the floor. He released his grip on Cerveau and the engineer did the same, the two men now a respectable distance from each other. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Harpuia nodded. The noises of the battle were still imminent. He didn't have time for simple chatter. "Cerveau, contact the Guardian HQ and tell them to provide air support. We need backup immediately. There are too many galleons in this area." He turned on his heel and headed for the exit, but he was quickly stopped.

"Wait, you mean no one has contacted them yet?"

"It doesn't take this long for an airship to get here from the Capital. Just tell them to get over here and bring all the support they can, including medical staff." Before Cerveau could question further, Harpuia stopped him. "Cerveau, I don't have time for this. Just get in contact with them and tell them to get here immediately!" The guardian engaged his jets and blasted off, again hurrying to the south end.

In his mind, he only hoped that whatever set off that explosion had been taken care of, but then again…This was the Guardians he was talking about.

* * *

There was another piercing scream followed swiftly by a groan. Blood sprayed everywhere as a green saber sliced its way through human flesh, the lone red warrior determined in killing all who stood in his way. He had spotted his prey, and there was no way he would let her go. From the distance, he could still see her running, her long ponytail moving with each step, her arms giving that feeble push for extra distance, but it was all pointless. The reploid's psychotic grin grew larger. Yes, this was just much more fun for him. Letting her hear those blood curdling, piercing screams to frighten her, get at her very core, while he made his slow progress toward her. After all, what's the fun in being a Messiah, when you can't invoke fear? As he continued his slow run, Omega sliced his way through another two civilians, letting their screams of agony and suffering reach the young commander, his prey.

_Don't look back…Don't look back!_ Too late. Prairie's eyes widened upon seeing another victim fall to his or her knees, the scream burned into her mind. Her breathing hastened as the victim's head lopped to the side and fell onto the ground, an expression of agony forever frozen upon the face. Behind the new corpse, Omega watched her, the grin opening to show his devil-like teeth. That instant, the moment she saw that grin, it felt like time had stopped. Those teeth, those eyes, everything brought a sickening fear to her heart. It felt like she was looking at the being the humans had called Satan. The Commander closed her eyes and forced her view to the front, letting her tears flow freely as she continued to sprint like a desperate mouse escaping a hungry serpent. Screams of death bombarded her ears and with each, she forced her eyes closed to keep herself from looking back. She didn't want to end up like that…She didn't want her body found with her head missing! She didn't want to die this way! She didn't want to die at all!

Prairie shook off the gruesome image and just continued sprinting. "I'm not going to die…" She told herself. "I'm not going to die…I'm not going to-!" She flinched upon hearing another loud scream. "I'm not going-!" No, not another one! "I'm not-!" Damn it, STOOOOP! Another blood-curdling scream bombarded her ears, and as she forced her eyes closed once more, she took her gloved hands and covered her ears.

"I'm not going to die…I'm not going to die…I'm not going to die…I'M NOT GOING TO-!"

_SMACK!_

She grunted as she suddenly found herself on the ground. The blunt tingling on the right side of her cheek felt numb at first, but it quickly made itself known. She nursed the wound and shook her head. Whatever had hit her, it felt extremely hard, almost like metal. Her eyes stung with her tears and Prairie knew she had to keep running. She cleared her eyes of the tears and struggled to get back onto her feet…

However, as soon as she was on her knees, she had the sickening feeling that something was behind her. The screams had suddenly stopped…and Prairie whirled around quickly to see…Omega, standing above her with his saber brandished in his right hand. She felt her heart stop. Her breathing hastened and she came close to hyperventilating, all as she stared into the cold, murderous eyes of the reploid before her. Her tears slowly streamed from her eyes as she began to crawl back, only to be followed by a step forward from Omega. She shook her head slowly, pleadingly, but she knew Omega wouldn't show her mercy. He was the God of Destruction, and he knew nothing but…

Omega suddenly boosted forward, coming even closer to the frightened commander. Prairie screamed and scooted back quickly. She fell onto her elbows and her knees remained bent, her eyes still staring with cold, unbridled fear at the reploid in front of her. The commander shook her head again. "No…Please…D-Don't…"

The reploid merely smiled. The chase was done. He raised his saber and held it above her, the tip ready to impale her through her chest. Her final scream of agony would be satisfying to hear, a perfect end to this long, fun chase.

"No…NO…!"

"_**I AM…THE MESSIAH!"**_

_**…**_

_**"HYAAAAH!!"**_

_**"NOOOOOOOOOO!" **_ Prairie raised her arms to defend herself and turned her head to the side.

"_**HAAAAAAAAA-AAAH!"**_

_SMASH!_

_**"GRA-AAH!"**_

The whimpering Prairie flinched upon hearing the loud smash. Was…Was she…!? She remained still, but slowly, opened her eyes. To her surprise, she seemed to be intact, no, she _was _intact! There was no sign of any wound whatsoever! Not only that, but there was no blood! H-How could this be…?!

Her eyes then caught the light green boots standing in front of her. I…Impossible! She slowly looked skyward, catching the familiar green wings, the white suit, and finally the helmet, the two wings attached at the sides. As she stared at the helmet, her lips began to stutter her savior's name. "H-H…Harpuia?"

The green guardian stood with his arms on either side, both extended and grasping a pink blade. "…Commander," he uttered, "fall back." From behind, Prairie could hear numerous footsteps coming in her direction. She turned her head fearfully but was instantly relieved to see several Guardian soldiers and Cerveau approach her, rifles at the ready.

Prairie, for lack of a better word, was shocked. "H-Harpuia…"

"Didn't you hear what I said? Fall back!" Harpuia barked. The tone of his voice forced her onto her feet. She stumbled back a few steps then turned and ran into Cerveau's arms, legs still quaking and feeling very weak.

"Are you alright?" The engineer asked urgently, struggling to keep her on her feet.

"…Y…Y-Yeah…" Prairie replied, the shock of the situation still present. Her knees felt like they would give out any second, but Cerveau was able to keep her on her feet. "W…W-Where's the b…b-backup?"

Cerveau bit his tongue. "I, I couldn't call the Guardian HQ. Something's jamming our transmissions…The soldiers with me are those who I managed to find around the Square, it's all we have right now." He noticed that Prairie didn't seem to hear, but then again, he couldn't blame her. The poor girl had faced a near-death experience, and knowing her, this event would haunt Prairie's memories for the rest of her life.

"Sir, should we help Master Harpuia?" A Guardian soldier asked. The engineer glanced at Harpuia, still standing in the same position as he had been when he saw him. He saw him turn his head, and upon seeing his expression, Cerveau knew his answer.

"No, everyone fall back. We need to reestablish communications with the HQ and get the Commander immediate medical attention." He seemed to notice the soldiers' hesitation. This was Omega they were talking about, not just any warrior, but _the _warrior. As the reploid slowly began to get back up, Cerveau cleared his throat. "Hurry up! Let's move!" He shouted.

"Yes sir!" The soldiers replied. Two quickly slung Praire's arms around their shoulders and began to carry her out of the battlefield, the commander dragging her legs across the broken ground. The remaining soldiers followed after them, and just before leaving, Cerveau glanced back at the sight behind him. He noticed Omega slowly begin to stand.

"Harpuia…Don't die on us…" He uttered quietly. With that, he turned on his heels and ran after the group of Guardians.

The guardian watched as Omega finally stood on his feet. He stumbled slightly but soon found his footing. In moments, his green blade was back in his hand and he was looking into Harpuia's eyes, still flashing the psychotic desire. Numerous thoughts processed through Harpuia's mind as he stared at Omega. How was this possible? Why isn't he dead? What had he been doing these past twenty years? He pushed them aside upon noticing Omega grip his blade tightly. The guardian dug his heel into the ground and tightened his grip on his own two blades. No words needed to be said. As Omega bared his devil-like teeth in the form of a sadistic grin, Harpuia grit his own teeth, eyes burning with determination. Only one thought processed through his mind at that moment.

_Omega must be destroyed._

_**"I AM THE MESSIAH! HA HA HA!"**_

_**WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!**_

* * *

Well, hope you guys liked it! Please R+R (Read and Review)!

Thank you for reading!


	11. Chapter 10: The 0th Day Duel

Hey all, MHTT here! I've got the duel up now, hope you all enjoy! I got to warn you though, it is a tad on the short side, so as of now, this is the shortest chapter in the story!

I had some problems cherographing the fight at first, so that is an explanation for the delay I had. Trust me though, I didn't make the fight short because I ran out of ideas, it's part of the story (sorta, you'll see what I mean).

Anyway, enjoy you guys!

* * *

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Megaman characters in this fic nor do I own the franchise. They are copyright of Capcom and I am not writing this to gain any monetary profit.**_

* * *

**Chapter 10: The 0****th ****Day Duel**

"HORR-YAH!"

Harpuia quickly jumped away from the menacing green blade, dodging the first strike and the large shockwave that followed. As he hovered above the trembling ground, Omega swiftly burst forward, saber dragging behind him. He sent a quick slash for Harpuia's abdomen but the guardian quickly sidestepped out of the way. A second strike followed from above his shoulder but, the guardian easily blocked it with his sabers. As the trembling began to subside, Harpuia set his feet back on the ground, evading another pair of slashes while he found his footing. He blocked and dodged a triple slash from Omega and twisted his body just in time to avoid a fatal impalement. He blocked another slice coming from the right and as Omega prepared to swing the blade once more, Harpuia jumped away from him.

"Hup!" While in the air, Harpuia swung his right blade, sending a pink pulse of energy to his opponent. The crescent moon swiftly tore and cleaved across the grass toward the red Messiah, and, much to Harpuia's surprise, the hit connected. Omega grunted and flinched, but he quickly shook it off. That attack was clearly avoidable…A reploid of Omega's capabilities should've been able to dodge or even counter that attack! So, why did he just let himself get hit?

As Harpuia contemplated the action, he noticed Omega suddenly burst forward. In a split second he had closed the gap, and he was in range to deal a lethal blow!

He lifted the blade just above his right shoulder; _**Diagonal strike coming from the left!**_

Harpuia blocked the attack with his left saber.

He turned the weapon several degrees: _**Horizontal cut from the left!**_

Harpuia hopped out of range.

He moved the saber past the other shoulder; _**Diagonal from the right!**_

Harpuia parried the attack with his right saber.

He twisted the weapon further downward and bent his knees; _**Uppercut from the left!**_

Omega jumped into the air with his blade leading the attack, the saber leaving a spiraling streak of green. As he spun into the air like a rising blender, Harpuia arched his back and craned his neck just enough to avoid the fatal attack, the green streak coming very close to slicing his head. He quickly recovered just in time to see Omega stop in mid-air, and fall back onto the ground. In the blink of an eye, he closed the gap, and once more, Harpuia was forced on the defensive.

Green and pink blades clashed from the red and green reploids, the former unleashing an unending barrage of attacks while the latter skillfully blocked them. Even though each powerful hit from Omega's saber forced Harpuia to step back, the Messiah couldn't break through his defense. The two pink blades were always blocking his attacks, no matter how powerful his strikes were. As Omega began to build energy within his arms, Harpuia quickly jumped away. The guardian easily anticipated what was coming, and just as expected, a second after Harpuia set foot on the ground, Omega grabbed his saber in both hands and struck the ground once more. He set his feet on the trembling ground and crossed his sabers, just in time to catch Omega's overhead swing.

"Grr…" Harpuia held his ground, the emerald green saber pushing against the cross of his twin blades. He dug his feet and kept his arms bent, unwilling to falter to Omega. He had caused catastrophic damage two decades ago, and nearly destroyed the world a century before. He would not allow him to live, not after that! "Grrr-aaah!" With unprecedented strength, Harpuia suddenly forced Omega's blade back, causing the reploid to falter backwards. This was his chance! Harpuia boosted forward and as he closed the gap, inverted the orientation of his right blade. "Hyah!"

_**SLICE!**_

"Uggh!" Omega's head turned to the side once the searing pink energy left his face, leaving behind a large gash stretching from his left eye to the right side of his lower lip. He grasped his face in pain as he clenched the grip on his saber, but before he could counter, a powerful strike hit his chest. The wind was suddenly knocked out of him, and before he knew it, two empty hands grasped his forearms and clamped them to his sides. The reploid grit his teeth and glanced forward, spotting Harpuia staring back at him. He struggled to move his saber, but quickly found it to be useless. Omega was helpless to the next attack.

"Haaa!" With all his strength, Harpuia shot into the air, carrying Omega with him. He continued to hold onto him tightly as his jets propelled him into the higher reaches of the sky, the air quickly becoming colder and colder with every ten meter increase. Soon, he was high enough to see all of Memorial Square, and even the Capital Building in the distance. Harpuia glanced at the wounded Omega, and in barely a second, he made a large curve high in the sky and began plummeting to the ground, still holding Omega close.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Harpuia held his grip as the Messiah struggled, unable to break the guardian's hold. The wind whipped against his hair and his body, and from his red eyes he could tell they were approaching the ground, fast. Then, before he knew it, the ground was directly in front of him, and all of a sudden, when it suddenly looked like Harpuia would pull up, he felt the hands release him.

_**CRASH!**_

Powerful shockwaves traveled from the epicenter, sending tremors and shakes across the Square. Harpuia gradually decelerated and hovered back onto the ground, landing a safe distance away from the cloud of dust and debris. He reactivated his two blades and assumed a defensive stance, eyes locked on the cloud, scanning for the silhouette of the standing Omega. The sudden attack must've caught him off guard. A reploid like Omega could have easily broken free of the guardian's grip, and even at the highest point during the attack, he could have landed without a scratch. Still, the guardian waited, and just as expected…

A silhouette began to appear, Omega's silhouette. He appeared to be leaning forward, almost in pain. Deep, heavy breathing could easily be heard from within, partly out of anger, partly out of pain. The emerald green saber was touching the ground, coated with the artificial blood gushing from the wound across his face and his sword arm. Harpuia couldn't believe it.

Omega was already severely damaged.

_**This is too easy…**_

"I AM THE MESSIAH! HAAAA!" Harpuia easily sidestepped away from the green saber, the attack hindered by Omega's wounds. He swung another two times but again Harpuia evaded them. Damage was taking its toll on the Messiah's body, making him slower, weaker, and less responsive. However, this was odd…Zero, the Zero that he fought never faltered, no matter how severe the damage was. "Hyah!" Omega stepped forward and brought his sword for a full horizontal swing. He moved his arm at a noticeable velocity from the right but Harpuia easily caught it, blocking the attack with his two blades and stopping it entirely. Omega didn't move his arm away, and the guardian took that opportunity to swing his saber in a clockwise arc and push the green sword away. The Messiah flinched, and that would be his last mistake.

Harpuia pulled his right arm back and swiftly thrust it forward.

_**STAB!**_

Omega keeled forward, pain registering harshly from his chest. As he stood still, struggling to hold his footing, he never realized that his opponent had aimed the other pink blade directly for his head.

_**STAB!**_

Time stopped. The Messiah took a quick gasp and stood completely still, wondering what had happened. He no longer felt pain, but he could feel his body's functions fading, almost as if he was paralyzed. What had happened? Why couldn't he move?! Harpuia pulled hard on both blades and pulled them out of the Messiah's body, the large gashes on his chest and the right side of his head flowing with artificial blood. He then brought his right knee directly into the reploid's chin, forcing him up, and kicking him away. At that moment, Omega suddenly felt his system start up again, but pain registered all over his body. His systems began overloading severely and were quickly becoming unstable, warnings popping up within his head about loss of blood, overheating, and severe instability. He staggered a few more steps before he finally dropped his saber on the ground.

A strange, primal-like grunt gradually began to make itself known, all while the Messiah's body began to flash uncontrollably.

"grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

_**BRING BRING BRING! SHEEEEEEEEEEEW!**_

Harpuia shielded his eyes from the bright flash of light. He should be filled with relief, but instead, he only had questions. Omega, he was much easier than expected. He never defended against his attacks; he only fought like a berserker. He didn't try to trap him or fight cunningly; he simply tried to overwhelm him with powerful attacks. He paid for his mistakes in battle, but if this was the case, why did the guardian feel so uneasy about his death?

The answer came once the light died away. Before him, where the remains of Omega should be, there was instead, the shattered body of a Galleon. The single red eye stared through the broken visor before it slowly died, and at that moment, Harpuia realized, his intuition was right all along.

_**This wasn't the real Omega…**_

_**MISSION COMPLETE.**_

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Well, that's that! Hope you guys enjoyed!

Next up, to 'celebrate' having made ten chapters (not including the prologue) of this story, I'm planning to do what I call Reminiscence Chapters. In this case, I'm planning to detail a chapter about an event in the past that had come before the story started, including how Harpuia survived and what had happened during the events of Ragnarok.

However, I'm at a bit of a crossroads with two chapters I want to show. For right now, I only want to do one reminiscence chapter and show the other later, so, I'm asking you the readers and reviewers, which ones should I do?

Here are the two choices. Neither will affect the outcome of the fic, only what the next chapter will reveal.

**Harpuia's Flight: **This chapter will specifically detail what had happened after Omega's explosion and how Harpuia escaped. The setting of this chapter will be during the ending of MMZ3 and following shortly afterward.

**Rise of the Blue Sun: **This chapter will introduce a new character named Iris as she helps defend a large reploid caravan, which is a reploid counterpart to the Area Zero caravan, headed to a hidden refuge in the mountains. The setting of this chapter will be in the beginning of MMZ4. Also, the character Iris I'm planning to use has NO correlation with the Iris in the MMX era.

So chronologically,** Harpuia's Flight **comes before **Rise of the Blue Sun**.

So, my readers, those are your choices. If you wish to have a specific one, then please say so in your reviews. You may either leave me a review or message me with your choice, either is fine. I will be choosing based on votes in the reviews, so, if you wish to hear specifically about one chapter and wait for the other, then state so in your review. However, if no one decides to vote or specifically state which one they'd like to see, then I will make the choice myself.

Reviews and comments would be greatly appreciated, thank you for reading!


	12. Reminiscence Chapter: Harpuia’s Flight

And…I'm back! It's been over five months, but I've finally got the next chapter up. I really apologize for the wait everyone, I've been busy with a lot of things. College is consuming a lot of my time now, but still, I found time to get this chapter done.

**Harpuia's Flight **had won by a landslide, so, here's your reminiscence chapter! I apologize if what happens isn't necessarily what you're expecting (Particularly post-Omega's death), especially on the means of scientific basis. This was based on some old thing I read, but even I admit that it sounds really shady. However, it seems to work for the story, so…yeah. It's been implemented anyway.

Alright guys, enjoy this chapter! The next chapter, we will return to where we last left off!

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Megaman characters in this fic nor do I own the franchise. They are copyright of Capcom and I am not writing this to gain any monetary profit.**_

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**Reminiscence Chapter: Harpuia's Flight**

_(Present Day…)_

Harpuia's body quivered with an exhale, sharp pain zapping through him. The brief sharpness had only dulled his senses even more, the guardian's damaged body resting over a cold pool of his artificial blood. The horrible wound on his abdomen had emptied out all of the precious fluids that maintained his well-being, and now, Harpuia could feel the chilling cold slowly claim him. What wracking pain he felt earlier was now dull and numb, slowly spreading through him as numerous warnings flashed by his eyes. His autorepair systems had shut down, his internal core suffered critical damage, his primary system was malfunctioning and losing power. All of it led to one simple conclusion: Sage Harpuia was dying.

A quiet groan escaped his lips. The feeling in his fingers was gone, and in the darkness of the cavern, Harpuia could barely make out his own body. His light green armor appeared to be mere specks in the consuming shadow, and even worse, he could barely make it out due to his failing vision. Objects were blurring, almost as if the darkness itself was dancing before him. Static broke through occasionally, but it was slowly becoming routine. More and more warnings flashed before his fading eyes, but he could barely make them out. Something about…critical…dangerous…unrepairable…he couldn't even read them.

_**WARNING: Memory System Malfunctioning…**_

All of a sudden, various images faded into existence before his eyes. So many of them in the span of seconds, some blurry, others clear. Images of picturesque Neo Arcadia prior to war, demolished cities in the middle of conflict, powerful mavericks who dared threaten peace, and of course…Zero. The brief moment of grudging respect disappeared when another image faded in by static. There…There were five people. In the middle was a blue reploid wearing royal garments, and standing to his left and right were his four children, the wind and shadow to his right, and the fire and ice one were to his left. For a moment, Harpuia thought he felt a teardrop on the side of his cheek. It was his family, everyone…Master X, Fairy Leviathan, Fighting Fefnir, Phantom, and himself.

"E…E-Everyone…" He struggled to say, his eyes closing briefly as he suddenly realized the numbness had gotten stronger. The image didn't leave his eyes, but as he gazed at the face of the fire and ice siblings…A burning sting, one which he had thought healed years ago, began to return.

* * *

(_20 years ago…)_

_"Unggh!" Fefnir shielded his eyes with his arms, digging his feet into the ground._

_"Aaah!" Leviathan crouched and looked away, using one arm to cover her eyes while the other remained tightly grasped on her halberd._

_"Uggh!" Harpuia immediately closed his eyes and grounded himself, coming to a kneel as he kept his blades tightly grasped. The bright orb consumed the cavern as Omega's body exploded, illuminating even the darkest reaches with bright white light. Its light was harsh, as if the guardians were directly in front of the sun. It stung their eyes and burned their skins, but just as quickly as they felt it, the explosion slowly died away, leaving the cavern in dim darkness. The wind guardian remained in his kneel as he slowly opened his eyes, reorienting his vision. He looked at the side to see his brother Fefnir and sister Leviathan recover from the ordeal, both unharmed and unscathed. "Everyone alright?"_

_"Yeah, I'm good." Fefnir stated with a huff._

_"Same here." Leviathan stated, slowly pulling up. The three silently breathed as they stared at the emptiness before them. There was no body, no parts, nothing at all. _

_"It's over…" Harpuia breathed. "It's finally over…" His blades deactivated and he sheathed them on his waist. There was no need for them anymore…Omega was finally gone._

_"…Hey, where's Zero? And the Dark Elf, and Master X?" Leviathan asked, looking around. _

_Fefnir glanced about for a moment. "Yeah, where are they? They were here just a moment ago."_

_Harpuia looked about the cavern, and indeed, they were correct. The warm glow of Master X, the black orb of the Dark Elf, and the red figure of Zero were nowhere to be found. "They must have transferred out right before Omega was neutralized."_

_The red guardian huffed. "…Leave us behind huh?" He grunted and stretched his arms. "Ah well, least we got to see the bastard die." Fefnir sighed as he let his arms hang slack, cracking his neck while doing so. "Hey, let's get out of here."_

_"If you're thinking about transferring Fefnir, then that's not possible." Leviathan quickly stated._

_"What? But we just transferred he~" the guardian stopped himself. "Oh yeah…Master X." After that bastard Weil took power, he removed the guardians from service and revoked their security clearance and transerver privileges. By doing so, Harpuia, Fefnir, and Leviathan could no longer transfer across the world or around Neo Arcadia. A portable transerver would've worked as a substitute, but they didn't possess the high security clearance to allow them in all areas of Neo Arcadia, and besides, those things were way too fragile. At the time, the only reason why they had managed to transfer into the cavern was because Master X had managed to temporarily reinstate their security clearance. The time window was only twenty seconds…and unfortunately, that time was up. Fefnir sighed and looked to his brother and sister. "So what do we do now?"_

_*Skitter*_

_Leviathan jumped upon seeing Harpuia suddenly turn his head and activating his blades. "H-Hey! What~?"_

_"Did you hear that?"_

_*Skitter skitter*_

_*Clatter clatter*_

_Fefnir quickly engaged his weaponry and aimed his cannons toward the sound. Next to him, Leviathan had taken her halberd and readied herself, scanning through the darkness for any sign of movement. The skittering and clattering was beginning to echo throughout the entire cavern, almost as if there were numerous footsteps moving around them. The red guardian's eyes looked about carefully through the dim darkness, but he spotted nothing out of the ordinary. "You guys see anything?" He asked, still looking about cautiously._

_*Skitter skitter*_

_*Clatter clatter*_

_"Nothing…but where's that coming from?" Leviathan suddenly felt her feet slip, but quickly regained her footing. That's strange…It was as if some kind of magnet was pulling her. Harpuia felt it too, and quickly bent his knees to stabilize his footing. The pull wasn't strong, not at all, but it was enough to cause him to step involuntarily._

_"Hey…Do you guys feel that?" Fefnir asked. "Feels like a magnetic pull." His gun arms constantly tilted toward the side, forcing the guardian to revert one arm back to his hand and use it to steady one cannon. All the while, Harpuia continued looking about. The sounds were getting louder, and that pull was slowly growing stronger. Then, for some unknown reason, he looked down at his feet. _

_"What the…?" Pebbles, stones, and debris were rolling past him, all as if on their own. They continued to skitter and roll in one direction, almost as if they were going down a funnel. _

_"Harpuia, what's wro~" Leviathan immediately noticed that her brother was looking at the ground, and instinctively, she did as well. Her eyes caught the debris rolling past her, moving in one unified direction toward the middle of the cavern. By now, Fefnir had caught the sight as well, all the while, noticing that they were slowly rolling faster. "What's going on? What's pulling them?" Leviathan again took a step back due to the force of the pull, digging her heels into the ground._

_Harpuia looked toward where the debris' final destination, and to his surprise, there appeared to be some kind of…distortion. The stones and debris were rolling directly into it, and strangely, he didn't see them after they had entered it. "Ungh…" Harpuia felt himself slide, kneeling even more to keep himself from moving toward that distortion. Is that thing what's causing the anomaly here? Is that what's causing the pull?_

_"Hey Harp, what is that?" Fefnir asked, kneeling to keep himself from being pulled as well. _

_"I…I'm not sure…" He stated, nearly losing his balance as he involuntarily leaned forward. "All I know is that I think that's causing the pull."_

_Leviathan dug her halberd into the ground, struggling to keep her own feet from slipping. The pull was getting stronger…It felt as if she let go, she would trip and roll toward that distortion. "Whoa…" She pulled her feet back a step only to feel it slip again._

_"Hey, what was that?" Fefnir shouted. "Look! There it is again!" _

_Harpuia stared at the distortion, and for a moment, he saw what looked like a black lighting bolt fly out of the distortion. Slowly, more and more bolts appeared, though they quickly dissipated into nothingness. However, to the sage's horror, he noticed the distortion slowly begin to swirl. The debris that had been tumbling across the ground were now starting to fly through the air as they closed in on the swirling vortex, and the distortion was slowly materializing what appeared to be lines of data. No…It…It can't be…_

_"Is that…cyberspace? Whoa!" Leviathan caught herself before she tripped once more, holding onto her spear with tight fists. "H-How is this possible?!" The blue guardian quickly ducked as a large rock flew by her head. It swiftly flew into the swirling vortex and before entering the twisting nether, appeared to be broken down into 'data' particles. No…No way…_

_"Everyone! Get to cover!" Harpuia shouted. "Find something sturdy and get behind it!" The pull had gotten significantly stronger for the green guardian as he stood up. He took a moment to maintain his balance before he took several uneasy steps behind a large rock formation, kneeling behind it as the pull continued to draw in more and more debris. Damn it…How was this possible? How could Omega's own death have opened a rip between reality and cyberspace?! It was known to the guardians and Zero that Omega was somehow connected to those strange doorways into cyberspace, the purgatory of data and final resting place of reploid software…but how…How is it that Omega's own death…could've done this? Harpuia looked to the side to see Leviathan having taken cover behind a bolted metal structure, while Fefnir took cover behind a smaller rock formation, but dug his arms into the ground. More and more debris was beginning to fly by them into the twisting vortex, threatening to consume and destroy all within the cavern. _

_"Damn it, we have to get out of here!" Fefnir shouted, letting out a quiet grunt as a rock passed by his helmet. "Master X! Where are you?! Get us out of here!" The guardian noticed hairline cracks begin to appear on the formation, as well what sounded like crumbling debris. "Oh Sigma…" The formation quickly fell apart, and as the broken debris flew into the growing vortex, Fefnir gritted his teeth and struggled to keep his arms on the ground. Unfortunately, it was to no avail. "Geeeeeehhh-AAAAAAAAH!" Fefnir gave one last scream before he felt his arms pulled out from the ground. His body instantly took to the air alongside the debris toward the vortex._

_"Fefnir!" Harpuia struggled to grab him but instantly felt the pull of the vortex. He was forced to retreat, and quickly ducked back behind the formation._

_*CRASH!*_

_"Huh?" The sage's eyes opened and looked to the side, spotting red legs flying toward the vortex._

_"You didn't think I was going to die that easy, did you?!" Fefnir shouted. His entire body, save for his right arm, was flying toward the wormhole into cyberspace. He had managed to dig his right arm into the rock formation just before flying in, his gunhand embedded within the rock. "Uggh…Harp!"_

_"Hold on, I got you!" Harpuia inched over the top and reached out with his right hand. "Swing your left hand!"_

_Fefnir struggled to pull his free arm, but as soon as he reached, it would always swing back toward the hole. "I can't! The pull's too strong!"_

_"Come on! GIVE ME YOUR HAND!" The sage shouted. _

_Just as Fefnir prepared for another attempt, his eyes widened. "DUCK!" _

_*BANG!*_

_The metallic box slammed hard into the rock formation just shy of Fefnir's gunarm. Seconds later, it broke into miniature particles and was swallowed into the swirling cyber distortion. _

"_Aaaah!" _

_*CLUNK!*_

"_Unnngh!" Leviathan's hair and legs stretched toward the twisting vortex as she desperately clutched her halberd. After that bolted structure gave way, she went flying with it. However, at the last moment, she managed to dig her halberd into the same rock formation, providing one last attempt to prevent her from being swallowed into cyberspace._

"_Leviathan!" Harpuia saw her hands slip down the pole of her staff. Despite her iron grip, her hands were still slowly slipping down the handle. "Ugh!" Harpuia felt his head suddenly lean forward as a large rock chunk hit the back of his head. He recovered but was quickly hit by another large piece of debris, both of which went flying into cyberspace. The guardian shook his head and looked at his two siblings. There was no way he could save both of them without losing his own life…but he couldn't just abandon one of them! Damn it…Omega…!_

"_Sigma…My fingers are slipping…" Leviathan stated as she held on desperately to her halberd._

"_This rock isn't going to hold out for too long either!" Fefnir shouted as his gunarm slowly came lose. _

_Harpuia was not one to shirk away reality, but at this moment, with his remaining siblings so close to death, he wished that there was some way, some, miraculous way to save them both. "Just hold on you two…I'll get you both…" Please Master X…Please Dr. Cain…Help me save them, he silently prayed._

_Fefnir tried once more to reach for his brother's hand, but he had barely raised it before he felt it forcefully point back at the vortex. "Damn it…" He hissed under his teeth. He looked at the rock formation, feeling his gun arm slip out another inch. At this rate, he was going to end up being sucked into cyberspace anyway. _

_Leviathan struggled to climb up the staff of her halberd but her hands wouldn't even budge against the force of the pull. Debris continued to rain against her as her fingers slipped further and further down the haft while the sharp point was slowly pulling out of the rock. "F-Fefnir…" She called. The red guardian turned his gaze, spotting the sadness behind her expression. Leviathan understood. The situation was hopeless for both of them. Even if Harpuia tried, he would end up being sucked in too. Fefnir's own sorrow was masked by his anger. Even after death, Omega had ended up winning over him…again! He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, knowing the reality of his doom is at hand. However, as he opened his eyes, he noticed his sister gazing upward for some strange reason. _

_That's when he saw it. A way out…_

"_Come on! GIVE ME YOUR HANDS!" Harpuia shouted. "I'm not going to let you die! COME ON!" Despite the strong pull, the sage struggled to reach downward. He could just barely touch the tip of Leviathan's spear, and his other hand was running over Fefnir's gun._

"_Harp…"_

"_I almost got you, hold on…"_

"_Harpuia…"_

"_Hang on, almost there…Whoa…" The guardian quickly found his footing and reached for them carefully, struggling to perhaps, just perhaps, fight against the odds. _

"_HARPUIA!" The two siblings shouted at the same time, catching his attention. _

"_Forget about us! Just get out of here!" Fefnir shouted._

"_If you keep this up, you'll end up dying too!" Leviathan yelled._

"_No, I'm not going to~"_

"_WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET YOU DIE FOR US, HARP!" Fefnir retorted._

"_Well, I'm not going to let you die like this!" Harpuia grunted with exasperation. "Come on, give me your hand!"_

"_Harp, look up!" Leviathan stated. Her expression quickly turned to anger when she saw his eyes remain on her. "LOOK UP, DAMN IT! She winced upon feeling the sting of debris against her cheek, but quickly continued upon seeing her brother's eyes remain looking upward. "That hole is the only way out of here! You're the only one who can reach it, Harp!"_

_Harpuia gritted his teeth. It's true that large hole in the ceiling led into Dr. Weil's laboratory…but, even so… "Are you an idiot?! Even with my jets, I can't reach that! There would have to be some kind of explosive force to propel me to~" He stopped himself. No…She…She couldn't possibly…!_

_"Yeah, that's what we're thinking!" Fefnir shouted. "If we engage our self-destruct systems, we might be able to give you the force you need to reach the top!"_

_"No, Fefnir! That's not going to happen! I ref~UNGH!" Another impact against his back nearly caused him to fall over. If it hadn't been for his footing and the strangely sturdy formation, Harpuia would've been flung into the void. _

_"Hey!" The blue guardian shouted. "Weil's still alive right? We can't leave him to run Neo Arcadia like this!"_

_That name…The name of that monster caused Harpuia's mind to falter._

_"Yeah! He's still ruling Neo Arcadia, Harpuia! We can't let him push around everybody!" Leviathan shouted. As much as it pained her to know that she and Fefnir were going to die, her duty as a guardian was shining through. Weil…He was still calling the shots in Neo Arcadia. As guardians, as protectors of peace and security, he had to be stopped. However, only one of them could do that…The wind guardian, Harpuia. _

_He closed his eyes to gather his thoughts. The mention of Weil had clouded his mind with great anger and hatred, almost making him forget the current situation. He knew his duty, he knew what he had to do. Weil had to be neutralized by any means possible. At the same time…Harpuia knew that if he did pursue Weil, he would lose Fefnir and Leviathan, leaving him the sole member of the guardians, and sole heir of Master X's legacy. _

_"…You know we're not going to change our minds, Harpuia." Fefnir stated with a smile._

_"Yeah…We're done for anyway, so at least let us help you before we go." Leviathan followed. _

_The sage was silent, his eyes downcast. "…Alright." He stared at his siblings. "I promise… I will kill Weil…For everything he's done to us and Neo Arcadia." He stopped. "A-And…I-I…I'll restore Neo Arcadia to what it once was! I promise!"_

_"We'll keep you to it!" Fefnir stated in his usual demeanor. He chuckled. "If this is happening to us, then Omega's probably waiting for us!"_

_"Yeah, leave him to us, Harpuia! Just show Weil what it means to mess with us!" Leviathan watched as her brother pulled back behind the rock. Over the loud clattering of the debris, she could hear the sound of his jets beginning to activate. She could feel a single tear begin to come to her eye, but she quickly choked it back. "Fefnir…" She stated, looking at her brother, her hands slipping once more until they were holding onto the very edge of the staff._

_"Mmm…" Fefnir's arm slipped out once more. "Yeah, Leviathan?"_

_"…See you on the other side." Leviathan's body began to glow, growing whiter and hotter as she forced her systems to overload._

_"…Yeah, I'll be waiting for ya." Fefnir's own systems began to manually overload, causing his body to glow brightly and grow hotter with instability. _

_*FWOOOOM!*_

_At that moment, just before the whiteness could claim them, the two saw a green figure shoot two feet into the air, but slowly faltering in their direction. Both of them lost their hold and quickly fell toward the vortex, but just before they could be consumed, their systems reached critical status._

_***BRING BRING BRING…SHEEEEEEEEEW!***_

_***BRING BRING BRING…SHEEEEEEEEEW!***_

_"Unngh!" Harpuia felt himself suddenly accelerating toward the hole in the ceiling. His jets were pushing him with all their might and his right hand reached desperately for the wall. The heat of the fire and the sound of the explosion was all he needed to know that his brother and sister were no more. However, the time for grief could wait…He had to get out of here first. "Ugh." As his hand dug into the side of the ceiling, Harpuia quickly propelled himself up. The pulling force was notably weaker in comparison to when he was on the ground, and once his feet became aligned with the hole's side, the guardian swiftly wall-jumped against the crumbling rocks. He grunted and panted with each small jump up toward the top, all the while, feeling himself gaining speed as the pull had no effect. It was strange. That pull only affected what was in the cavern, not anything else. _

_"Ha!" The sage grunted once his feet finally touched ground. He was back. He was in Weil's lab, and on the surface above that cavern. He…He made it._

_**ALERT! SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED! REPEAT! SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED…TIME TO DESTRUCTION, FIVE MINUTES!**_

_Harpuia gritted his teeth. Are you trying to hide evidence Weil? Hide evidence that you were involved in any of this?! He quickly got back on his feet and broke into a sprint. If there was only five minutes left, he had to find a way out. All around him, persistent guard mechs attempted to stop his retreat, but he ignored the pain. The bullets embedded into his body, slowly whittling away his stamina, but the guardian paid no mind. He had to leave…He had to leave before it was too late...He had to survive, not just for his father, not just for his siblings, not just for himself, but for Neo Arcadia. Sage Harpuia was a guardian. He had to restore peace and order…_

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_The memory was still very clear to him, just like that sting. He had managed to find a ride chaser in the laboratory hangar, and with a good two minutes to spare, he managed to activate it, ride a good distance away from the base's blast radius. The ground shook, the sky roared, and all the while, he continued to ride into the unknown. That time, he could clearly remember, he had to recover first. If he was to take down Weil, he had to be at his full potential. So he rode on, on to an unknown destination, however far the ride chaser could take him. He just needed a place to recover his strength, a place to return to his full potential.

The image was burned in his mind, the picture of Harpuia and his family after the founding of Neo Arcadia, the day when true peace was declared. Shortly after he had made that promise, Weil was killed by Zero, and he had taken the role of the Second Master of Neo Arcadia. He struggled to maintain his father's legacy, keep it alive and live to the dream that he had envisioned and in the end…he succeeded. Peace had returned to Neo Arcadia, humans and reploids coexisted with open arms. There was nothing more for him. That is…except for one person…The one person who Sage had grown to love and cherish.

"P-Prairie…" He stated as his vision grew distorted and dim. For a brief moment, he saw her smiling face, her beautiful, angelic, smiling face. "For…For…" He gasped.

"Forgive me…"

*_**BWEEEEEEeeeeeeww…***_

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**We're inside! Come on boys, move it!_

_Here, I found him! Master Harpuia, can you hear me?! Sir!_

_Damn it, he's deactivated already…We don't have much time, come on! Get that sub-tank stat!_

_Operator, we've located Master Harpuia. (Easy does it, get him onto the stretcher. 1…2…) Request for transfer back to Guardian HQ._

_Request granted. Prepare for transfer in 3…2…_

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_Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. Like I said, next time, we're going back to the main plotline. There's still quite a lot to go, and progress will be slow, but I have no intentions of abandoning this anytime soon!

Please leave comments! Thank you for reading!


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